The next morning, Liam met Chloe and Marcus at the school entrance, the usual routine of greetings and laughter filling the air. However, there was a subtly different energy, a spark of complicity in Chloe's gaze that Liam caught immediately.
During the break between classes, as the three of them sat on a bench under the shade of a leafy tree, Chloe turned to Marcus with a mischievous smile.
"Marcus," she began, a playful tone in her voice, "don't you think you could be a little more... effusive in your greetings?"
Marcus raised an eyebrow, amused. "Effusive? Like a bear hug?"
Chloe shook her head, laughing softly. "No... more like those little kisses you give me. Why don't you try flirting a little bit with me? Just for fun."
Liam observed the scene with a calm smile. There was no discomfort in him, only a genuine curiosity to see how this interaction unfolded. He knew that Chloe enjoyed this peculiar dynamic between her and Marcus, and he, in his own way, also found a strange warmth in witnessing their affection.
Marcus smiled, understanding Chloe's hint. He leaned towards her, his face close to hers. "For a girl as charming as you, Chloe, any display of affection would be too little." He gave her a sweet look before placing a soft kiss on her cheek. This time, however, the kiss lasted an instant longer, and Liam noticed the fleeting contact of Marcus's tongue with Chloe's soft skin.
Chloe closed her eyes for a moment, enjoying the gesture, and then opened her eyes with a playful glint. "Hmm, that was... interesting." She looked at Liam, who smiled back at them. "Liam, don't you think Marcus has a... peculiar charm?"
"Definitely peculiar," Liam replied, with an amused smile. "But it works for you two."
Throughout the day, small moments like that were repeated. Marcus found opportunities to brush Chloe's cheek with his lips, sometimes leaving a quick kiss, other times allowing a brief, more intimate contact with his tongue. Chloe responded with smiles and knowing glances, sometimes actively seeking out these gestures.
At one point, as they walked down a less-trafficked hallway after class, Chloe took both their hands and led them behind some tall lockers. "Let's hide for a moment," she whispered with a mischievous smile.
Once there, in the small hidden space, Chloe turned to Marcus. "Now, surprise me," she said with a sparkle in her eyes.
Marcus needed no further invitation. He moved close to Chloe and gave her a series of soft kisses on her cheek, each leaving a warm, damp sensation on her skin. Chloe closed her eyes, sighing softly. Liam watched the scene, feeling a strange mix of closeness and distance, as if he were part of a shared secret.
Marcus's kisses were always respectful, filled with a palpable sweetness. There was nothing lewd or forced in his gestures; they were simply expressions of affection, permitted and enjoyed by Chloe.
After a few moments, Chloe opened her eyes and smiled at both of them. "Thank you," she said sincerely. "I love this."
Liam squeezed her hand. "And I like seeing you happy."
For them, these hidden moments, filled with soft kisses and knowing glances, were becoming a new form of connection, a type of shared affection that defied convention, but which for Liam, Chloe, and Marcus, felt strangely natural and beautiful. The "cuckloading" manifested not as a betrayal, but as another expression of their complex and tender relationship.