Losing his mother at such a young age had irrevocably changed how Clyde viewed the world and his relationships. As he grew older he started to think about the idea that he could, at any time, lose someone else close to him. His mother hadn't been old, and he'd been entirely unprepared to lose her. There had been no lead up, no expectation, and then suddenly she was just gone.
When he hit his teenager years he'd adjusted to the loss and was in a good place, but it had left him with the compulsive habit of constantly telling the people in his life that he loved them. He wasn't overly morbid about it, but he wanted to make sure they knew how he felt about them, in case something happened. If he fought with one of his friends or family members, he always made sure that they didn't leave angry, and even if whatever caused the argument wasn't completely resolved he would still tell them he loved them before parting. For the most part people tolerated it, some enjoying how open he was with his affections and others simply understanding why he was that way.
The most complex relationship he had was undoubtedly with his best friend, Craig Tucker. Where Clyde was overly affectionate and never kept any of his emotions inside, Craig was the polar opposite. The tall teen spent the majority of his life with a deadpan expression and his emotions tightly under wraps. That's not to say he didn't feel anything, because he very much did. He just had a difficult time expressing it and making himself vulnerable.
The first time Clyde told Craig he loved him, Craig was thoroughly shocked and didn't know how to respond. However, upon seeing the earnest expression on his best friends face he found himself silently reaching out and grabbing a hold of Clyde's hand. He didn't say anything, but as they sat there holding hands quietly Clyde looked up at him with eyes full of understanding and he knew he'd gotten the message across. From that day on it became their own secret language of sorts - whenever Clyde would tell Craig he loved him, the former would respond by touching Clyde in some way. When he was feeling tender he would gently rest his hand on some part of the other's body, when he was feeling playful he would ruffle his hair or throw his arm over his shoulder in a friendly half-hug. He couldn't tell his friend how he felt, but he hoped that he was showing it.
No one else understood the secret language of Craig and Clyde, but that was ok because it was just for them. Until one day someone questioned it in front of both of them, asking if it bothered Clyde that Craig never responded. As Craig stood there, feeling like the worst friend in the world, Clyde cocked his head and blinked, a confused expression on his face, and asked what they were talking about. Craig was always saying he loved him, just not with words. As Clyde explained this Craig's heart exploded with love for his best friend, and to hide his tiny, barely perceptible smile he hugged him from behind and buried his face in Clyde's hair. This was their secret language and it didn't matter if anyone else understood them, as long as they understood each other.