"She loves Spencer," he says easily, remembering the first night he'd come over to Joel's apartment, the way she'd run out from under his bed and had gone straight to Spencer, purring and rubbing against his legs. "And he's great with her." And although Joel had never considered the attributes he might require in a significant other, simply because he's never imagined himself having one, it is important to him that Spencer likes Balto, that he treats her well. He's always believed a person can tell a lot about someone else simply by watching the way they interact with animals and when one has become as important to him as Balto has, it's just necessary that whoever he spends his life with is good to her, too.

And Spencer is more than capable of fulfilling every single requirement he never even knew he had.

Joel's mouth twitches and his eyebrow arches, but for what feels like the first time today, he doesn't quite blush at what Coop is saying to him. Instead he gives Balto a rub behind the ears, more relieved than he's willing to let on that she's just mad at him and, while still looking at his cat, says, "I might be able to convince Spencer to have you over for dinner since you're so good to my cat."