Internally, he tries to remind himself that he's a nearly thirty-year-old man with a moderately successful business and an incredible boyfriend who loves him. He's an adult. He can function under this sort of talk and he opens his mouth to try and respond, but the only sound that comes out is a choked off sort of gasp when Coop refers to him as hot and tell him that his door is always open. He likes Coop, he really does, but sometimes he's not entirely sure why. Joel has never been the type of person who finds this sort of attention enjoyable. It doesn't make him feel more appealing, it only serves to make him very aware of his own awkward state and then compounds it, making it even worse. But he's good with Balto and he's always been kind.

He closes his mouth, clears his throat, and tries again. "The store is fine, it's- I didn't... it's still open. I just- I moved out of the apartment. I... we... I moved in with Spencer. Waters. The librarian." That's not what he'd meant to say and he sighs, then looks up and meets Coop's gaze, forcing himself to hold it. "My boyfriend."