"You're making my cats fat." Not that they aren't already - Emergency Rations and Sushi are both approaching the twenty-pounder level. A little lightheartedness to try and alleviate some of the obvious tension in the room. He doesn't know what's on Cedric's mind, but he's already rifling through the options in his head: Cedric's moving out, Cedric's got a girlfriend, they're out of credits...

Howard looks concerned for about two seconds, long enough to put down his slice of pizza. Then he resorts to levity.

"If it's that you're a dork, you don't need to tell me. I already figured it out." He grins at Cedric. Teasing is still his forte. It's a sign of affection, but one of those innocuous ones that doesn't muddy up the strange little friendship between them.