Cassian looked at her. "I love you. I just don't want you to get hurt." Wow. That's straightforward. Natalie felt her cheeks heat up. "You're quite cautious." Aren't these serious, bossy types supposed to be all mysterious? Why does he just say exactly what he means? He didn't even bother hiding how much he cared. It was like he wanted it written all over his face. And honestly, she kind of loved that about him. Cassian just smiled and pulled her into a hug, saying nothing. If he were still living alone in his hillside villa, he'd have run over the moment the acid rain stopped. But now that Natalie was right there, he wasn't about to drag her outside and risk anything. Natalie knew the acid rain was truly over, but she didn't comment. They weren't running out of supplies anyway, so they just stayed inside for another week, playing it safe. Then one day, Harold and Olivia showed up. "Hey, Idol, let's go for a walk! It should be safe now!" "Yeah, Nat. The weather has cooled a lot lately. Perfect time to go out." Natalie took a good look at Olivia, who hadn't been around much lately, and noticed she looked thinner than before. "Olivia, are you okay?" Olivia gave a small smile. "I'm fine. Don't worry."She had been hit hard at first. She truly loved Lottie like a daughter. Just when she thought she'd finally found something worth dedicating her life to, it all turned out to be false. How could that not hurt? But after a while, she managed to pull herself together. Life hit hard sometimes, but compared to other stuff she'd been through, this wasn't too bad. Living for someone else could never beat living for herself. Besides, she still had Natalie, Harold, and the rest of her friends. Even without a kid, she wasn't alone. Natalie grinned at Harold and Olivia. "Hang on a sec. We'll change and be right out." Even though it had cooled a bit, it was still nearly 120°F outside. Staying out too long could still lead to heatstroke. The temperature-regulating fabric Harold gave her could make four outfits. She'd already made one for herself. Lucky's suit was patched together from leftover scraps. Since Lucky had grown so much, that old climate suit didn't fit anymore, so she'd adjusted it for Baron. There was still enough fabric left for three more outfits. Lately, with nothing else to do at home, she made one for Cassian and a new one for Lucky, who'd gotten chunky. Cassian tried his suit on for the first time, looking impressed. "Harold is a genius." The suit felt almost weightless. He barely noticed he was wearing anything, but the moment it was on, the air around him felt so much more comfortable.Natalie teased, "So the guy who made the fabric is a genius, but the one who made the clothes isn't?" Cassian shot her a look. "The one who made the clothes is even better." Then, he smirked. "You jealous of Harold?" Natalie punched him. "Don't be ridiculous!" He nearly lost his balance. "Nattie, do you have a thing for domestic abuse?" She hit him again. "Yup!" He threw his hands up. "Alright, fine. I surrender." After all their playful fighting, they finally finished changing and got ready to leave. But just as they were about to step outside, Lucky, who'd been quiet the whole time, started barking loudly. "Ow, ow, ow! Ow, ow, ow?" Are you guys seriously ignoring me? Has love turned you idiots? Natalie and Cassian exchanged a glance. They'd almost forgotten about Lucky. Now that they could finally go out, Lucky was probably the one who needed the walk the most. Natalie patted Lucky's head to calm her, then helped her into her climate suit before they headed out. Baron stayed put on the couch, red eyes following them as they left. He looked like he couldn't care less about the outside world. Cash, however, stuck close and darted out the door the second Natalie opened it. "Cash, you don't have a climate suit! Get back inside!" Natalie called.Cash ignored her and ran straight to Olivia's door. Olivia and Harold were waiting outside and jumped when the big rooster came charging at them. Natalie called again, but Cash stayed stubbornly in front of Unit 1401. Cassian watched him and said, "Nattie, I don't think he wants to go outside." Natalie blinked. "Huh?" Cash nodded at Cassian, then tapped his beak on Unit 1401's door. Harold caught on. "I think he wants to go to Olivia's place!" Natalie looked at Cash helplessly. "What are you even doing at her place?" Olivia seemed to realize something. "Ah—I get it. He's looking for Snowy!" Cash nodded even more eagerly. Natalie was speechless. This stupid rooster just wanted to sneak off and flirt with the little hen while they were out?