Sunflower (Clyde Logan x Reader)

Chapter 9

Your POV:

When Clyde came for his shift with you he was distracted and looked distressed. He wasn't the most talkative man regularly but he was almost completely silent throughout the whole shift and you could feel the tension rolling off of him in waves as you worked in the small conference room.

You wondered if you had done anything wrong, thinking back to your previous interactions and shuffling through your memories to see where you may have made him upset. You couldn't find anything concrete, except for the flirting you had engaged in - but he had flirted right back, hadn't he?

By the time it was the end of Clyde's shift you were worried. "Are you okay, Clyde?" you questioned, bracing yourself for the answer.

He flinched, as if you had woken him up from some deep thought, and looked at you curiously, his full lips in their usual pout that you found so endearing (and oh-so-kissable). "Do you know Joe Bang?" he asked.

Joe Bang? You had heard the name in passing, mostly because other prisoners had commented on him before - apparently he had earned quite the reputation as a prankster and the other inmates did not take kindly to his joking. You didn't know him personally but you were pretty sure that you had no actual interest in getting to know him too well. You were usually an open minded and inviting person but the stories you had heard were not flattering in the least.

"I've heard others talk about him but I don't know him. Why? Did he do something to you?" you replied, searching his eyes for any giveaways.

Clyde was quiet for some time, before closing his eyes for a moment and letting out a long sigh. Finally, after a few more beats of silence he uttered a mumbled, "Good."

"Stay away from him, will you?" he added, locking eyes with you again. You could see that he had visibly relaxed at hearing that you didn't know Joe Bang, but he seemed anxious to hear your answer to his request. Was Clyde worried about you? Had something happened between Clyde and Joe Bang?

"I have no interest in seeking him out, Clyde, but I won't deny him a request if he comes to the library and needs help," you answered, knowing that you would have to carry out your job no matter what - even if the patron was less than pleasant.

Clyde tensed, working his jaw for a few moments as he chewed over your response. He gave you a small nod and quietly, almost as if he was a small child, asked, "Just be careful, okay?"

"Is everything okay, Clyde?" you checked in again, more worried now. You felt annoying repeating yourself but he was being unusually evasive. He hadn't divulged any information and you wondered if Joe Bang had threatened Clyde in any way. Maybe you could help him by reporting it?

You were more than sure that Clyde could hold his own - the man was built like a fridge (a very cute, very sexy fridge, but a fridge nonetheless) - but this behavior seemed odd. Sure, you didn't really know Clyde well in reality, but you felt as if you did know him. All of your feelings were confusing and at war with each other, and it wasn't helping the situation as you tried to figure out whether your new favorite inmate may be in trouble.

"S'fine. Didn't mean to worry you, Y/N," Clyde responded, meeting your eyes with a soft and kind gaze. He gave you a small smile and you melted. Clyde was a tough nut to crack but his smile was worth working hard for, and you felt honored every time he offered it freely to you.

You reached out across the table, meaning to touch his hand or arm as a sign of comfort, and stopped short halfway there - catching yourself and realizing how inappropriate it would be to engage contact with an inmate in such an intimate manner. But Clyde was faster than you, engulfing your small hand in his large one as you moved to retract your reach. You let out a small gasp at the skin to skin contact, his hand warm and rough around yours. Your hand looked like a child's in his, and you marveled at Clyde's size for a second before your traitorous mind made a guess at what else would be large about him.