"Promise me I'm not just another groupie to you."
Yeleen keeps her eyes to the floor, not because she's scared of his reaction, she's more scared of her own. If he lets him look her in the eye, there's a good chance he'll see the tears that are starting to form, and damn it she's made herself vulnerable enough tonight.
Castiel's eyes widen, not that she sees. He tucks a curl behind her ear and lets out a heavy sigh. "Of course not, how could you think that."
She doesn't look up; the tears are coming too hard and fast for that. "Because you hide me away. I understood at first, but the longer this goes on the more I think I'm just a hookup or worse, you're ashamed of me."
Castiel brings himself down to her eye level, forcing her to look at him. The sight of her bloodshot eyes is a punch to his chest and he wipes away the tears from her cheeks with a cuff of his sleeve. "I could never be ashamed of you. Keeping us secret sucks but it's better than the media hounding you."
Yeleen puts her foot down. Enough of letting tabloids dictate how they live their lives, enough of managers and P.R people telling them what to do and what not to do. She will not live out her life in the shadows. "Don't decide what's best for me, Cas. Hiding the fact I love you is worse than whatever backlash comes my way."
Maybe it's the L word. It hits him like a Cupid's arrow and he's under her spell. That word, intoxicating and brand new to their relationship, is a gesture that shows him she's serious.
And it's about time he makes a grand gesture all of his own. If she's ready to go public, he's ready, he's not letting his handlers have a say in this anymore. He pulls up his official social media page and uploads his most recent picture of him and Yeleen, one that shows their relationship's true nature. Before he posts it, he hands the device over to her.
Without any fuss or hesitation, she hits post, consequences be damned. She's thought about the reactions for long enough and decided she's ready for whatever form they take.
A torrent of notifications come in and Castiel's phone doesn't stop flashing or beeping. But he doesn't check them; his attention is all on her.
