| Details for Mending A Broken Heart |
| Summary: | Wolfgang tends to Audrey's emotional wreckage. (Warning: Some mature content.) |
| Date: | 30 October, 1938 |
| Location: | Flat Above the Natrix |
| Related: | A Shoulder To Cry On |
| Characters |
  |
Audrey has been anything but herself for the last few days. Though she still makes herself up to look nice every morning, she hasn't bothered to put on the actress's mask and pretend nothing is wrong. Something is very, very wrong. Her heart is broken, and piecing it back together is proving to be a slow, difficult process — particularly when she feels that the damage is mostly her own fault.
There are moments when flickers of the old Audrey shine through. Usually, it is when Wolfgang distracts her long enough to momentarily forget her pain. But is always comes rushing back in soon enough. In the meantime, she has remained hidden away from the world in his flat. Not even Sharkey knows where she is, and Wolfgang has undoubtedly had the "pleasure" of fending off her manager's insistent calls as he tries to track her down.
Late in the morning, Audrey is lazily sprawled across Wolfgang's couch, a half-glass of single-malt whiskey dangling from her fingers. She stares blankly at the flames in the fireplace, her eyes reddened from a recent cry.
Wolfgang comes up from his office with some papers in one hand and his silver fountain pen in the other. "Audrey, baby, what sounds better? ~Ba-bA-baa-BAAAAAAAA!~ Or ~Ba-bA-treedoodleedo-DAT-daoOooooooh…~ He drops the bulk of the papers down on the coffee table and then slides down next to her with the sheet he's working on. He kisses the top of her head and snakes an arm around her while holding the paper before her as well. "Hard quick finish, or something playfully meanders and fades?"
Audrey shifts, carefully adjusting the silk robe she wears to keep herself covered, to allow him more room to sit — also providing her a convenient shoulder to lay her head on. "The…first one," she mumbles, and takes a sip of her whiskey, spilling a drop onto his shirt.
Wolfgang doesn't mind if she drinks, he's not one to throw stones. But when she drinks enough that his shirt becomes an innocent victim. Well he draws the line there. In a smooth motion he makes to take the drink from her hand, "I think that's enough until the sun sets…"
Audrey growls in protest, but simply doesn't have it in her to fight him on it, and watches the drink go with a forlorn pout. She settles for curling up against him, taking what comfort she can in his warmth. "Did I put you through this, Wolfy?"
Wolfgang scribbles the notes down on the piece of paper using the side table before he sends it floating to land with the rest of the song. Once that's all taken care of he rubs her back, enjoying the feel of soft warm silk. "Let's not go there Doll. Just know that it does take time, but it does get better. Just focus on learning from what's happened and move on. You've got a star that's still on the rise. The film will be out soon. We need to get you into tip-top shape. Relationships come and go, but a career will always be there."
That is enough confirmation for her. Audrey frowns and hugs him tightly. "I'm so sorry, Wolfy. I just make a complete wreck of everyone around me. You know how I adore you…right? I never meant to hurt you."
Wolfgang hugs her in return and crooks a finger under her chin to lifts up her face so he can kiss her forehead and look down into her eyes. "You knock that right off. Do I look a wreck? I'm five by five. You made the choice of what was the best for you then. I respected that. You were dim to think that you didn't mean the world to me, just because I couldn't marry you. You wanted to be someone's everything. I got that, never was mad at you. If I thought you meant to hurt me, we wouldn't be right here right now. So…" He kisses at her lips softly, "Hush."
Audrey shivers, melting into him a little at the kiss. She swallows hard, looking down at her hands as she fights back gathering tears. "Obviously, I'm not meant to be someone's everything. I was a daft fool to think I had that in me. It was just so nice to be adored so much by someone. She would have turned her world upside-down to be with me. I took that for granted." She looks back up into his eyes. "I'll never take you for granted again. I promise."
Wolfgang strokes her cheek and nods as he listens, agreeing with her, showing he understands about why she chose Ranjali. "Do you think I would have let you go if I didn't think that she was good for you? She has been good for you. It's sad that it's over. But that's just a little chapter, act, scene in the big beautiful star spangled life that I know you are going to have."
"What if…maybe I don't want that life any more." Audrey voice wavers with uncertainty. "Maybe she would take me back if I just tried to be…normal." She nibbles at her lip, trying to wrap her head around what a "normal" life would even look like.
Wolfgang shakes his head, "You got into trouble in the first place because you were trying to be someone you're not. Star of mine. That's exactly what you are. There's not a 'normal' bone in your body and that makes you amazing. I say Ranjali was good for you, because she gave you all of the love you needed. She helped you knock off some tarnish and made you shine, shine so bright that it was just too much for her alone to handle. You don't belong to anyone Audrey, you belong to the world, shining from your heaven above us all. Enjoyed, loved, admired by us all." He continues to pet her cheek softly, little strokes up and down. Ranjali was good for you, but she tries to keep you for herself. That's why things didn't work out."
Audrey shakes her head. "No…no, it's not her fault. I told her I was going to be for her alone. She had every right to expect that…and I didn't betray that. Not…not exactly." She shuts her head, stilling herself for a moment. At last, she draws upon some of her acting tricks to push down the pain. She isn't quite managing smiles yet, but it's better than the constant sobbing. When she opens them again, her smoky blues sparkle with the light sheen of tears she's fought back. "Thank you, Wolfy," she says softly. "You're far too good to me." She cranes her neck, leaning forward to place a soft kiss at the corner of his mouth.
Wolfgang returns her shake of the head with his own. "You were trying to become the woman you had to be - to be with her. You wanted to be loved like that so badly you compromised and it didn't work out. It's no one's fault. You tried, it was good while it lasted. It's over, you'll move on and be better for the time you two spent." The kiss is returned. "I told you…I'm Your Man."
Audrey whimpers softly, and for a moment, she lingers just half an inch from his lips. But she turns her face away, eyes closed. "I…I can't." Still, her eyes slit open, and she can't help her gaze drifting sidelong back toward him.
Wolfgang hugs her tight again, "I'm not asking you to. It's alright Star. I didn't mean it quite like that. Like the song, whatever you need, Star. It's always been the case. I try to provide you with as much as I can. That won't ever change. Even if… I get hitched some day. You will never be excluded from my life. Capisce?"
The word "hitched" brings a light flinch from Audrey. She lowers her eyes shamefully. "I know…and I know that could never be me in the white gown. As you say, that just isn't me," she says mournfully. "Besides, your family…they'd never let you marry a Squib, anyhow."
Wolfgang caresses her cheek, "You don't need a white gown, to be treated well by me. Right?" He tries to look into her eyes. "You understand what I've been saying all along now? Do you even want that anymore? It doesn't matter, friend or lover, you got me, thick and thin."
Audrey sighs heavily, nestling into the crook of his arm and resting her head on his shoulder again. "That's my problem. I never know what I want, and I want it all. Bloody hell, I'm a spoiled brat. How ridiculously ironic."
Wolfgang chuckles and places a big firm and adoring smacking kiss to the top of her head. "Love you anyways." He gives her a hardy rub as if trying to get her stimulated and invigorated. "Let's get you in a bubble bath, then dressed and out for a stroll. Maybe shopping… you can help me pick out some things. Need a woman's advice, not to mention, I want to spoil you too."
Audrey reluctantly pushes herself up, reaching toward him as the saturation of alcohol in her system makes her a bit unsteady. "A woman's advice? Oh…please don't tell me you've got a dame. I couldn't take it right now." She hugs her robe tighter around herself as she stumbles toward the bathroom.
Wolfgang takes her hand and stands up supporting and guiding her to the bathroom where he'll wave his wand and have her favorite bubbles and just right temperature water brewing a bath in moments. He leaves it to manual dexterity to help her out of her robe and to sink down into the bath. "There's a funny story that can wait. But let's get you cleaned up. Do you want the red bottle of the purple bottle or the blue bottle." All of her toiletries are still there, as if she never left.
Audrey shrugs out of the robe, only making the slightest effort to be demure in her nudity. She moans appreciatively as she lowers herself into the warm water and bubbles. "Purple," she murmurs, trying to relax. But it's niggling at her. She opens her eyes, looking up at him. "Tell me the funny story."
Wolfgang waves his wand and the purple bottle opens tilts and floats in a drizzle over the bubbles and water and purple petals come pouring out along with the liquid and they get caught up on bubbles and float about in the air as well on the sudsy surface. Smoothly off comes his jacket and then the soiled shirt. The shirt is shoved into the laundry shoot and he steps out of his shoes before he strides over and lifts up the natural large sponge and begins to pet over Audrey's neck and shoulders and back with it. "You told me not to tell you. You sure you want to hear it?"
Audrey sighs, leaning forward to expose more of her back. "I knew it." Her face drops sadly. "Tell me. Just…get it over with. Who is she?"
Wolfgang lifts up some suds to give her a sudsy clown nose, "None of that. I told you, it doesn't change a thing. She knows all about you too. She's a classy dame. Bella Italiana. I met her the day before you came home. My father made arrangements. Remember the tradition I told you about? Well instead of me going there, he brought one over. I think you'll like her. She can sing too. I was hoping you could help her out, mentor her about the Biz. If we get married is up to her really. I made it clear that my father made a play and she took it very well. So there's not going to be an immediate marriage or anything. I like her a lot though. Brains, Class, Pipes, Beauty. Have to give the old man credit, he at least has good taste in dames."
Audrey wipes away the sudsy nose in irritation. But when he refers to her arrival at his doorstep as coming "home", her entire demeanour softens. She gazes up at him through her lashes in a moment of vulnerability. "So…you want me to teach the ropes to my comp-…to my replacement?" She sighs heavily, blowing tufts of bubbles about. "You really know how to make a girl feel special, Wolfy."
Wolfgang dunks the sponge to pick up more warm water to lather at her exposed areas. "There is no replacing you, no competition. She knows that as well as I do. Shame you don't know it. But you've always had trouble seeing what's right in front of you. Head in the heavens above, that's my star. Oriana and I come from a place where marriage contracts don't mean romance, or love. Pure-blood wives and husbands make babies on occasion, do their duty, but love, that's reserved for their lovers. Do I strike you as a man that can't take care of his paramours? There's plenty of pedestals in my heart. You just have to let me lift you up onto one."
Audrey leans back again, urging his sponge toward her front. She's abandoned all pretense of modesty, as if he's seeing anything he hasn't seen before. "I am technically pure-blooded, you know. I may have been born without magic, but my lineage is all wizard." He lifts her chin in faux pride, adding. "And you had better be prepared to put me on the highest pedestal. Audrey Taylor will not settle for less."
Wolfgang slides his hand down under the water and suds along her arm and caresses as he goes til he reaches her hand and plucks it up out of the water so that he can kiss her knuckles. "We can talk about getting you up there when you're feeling better."
Audrey curls her hand around his, then cups his cheek. "I'm starting to. Feel better, I mean. Thank you, Wolfy. You're an absolute dream, and I don't deserve you." Despite the self-deprecation, she smiles warmly, if a bit sadly. "So, when do I meet your future wife?"
Wolfgang slides his face in her hand to kiss the pad of her palm that was on his cheek. "The only thing you need to do to deserve me, is quit thinking you don't." He rolls forward to kiss her forehead and then he uses the momentum to get up off his knees next to the tub so he can sit on the edge and face her. "As soon as you are feeling up to it. We do have plans for a bit of a trip, so you'll have the whole house to yourself next week. I'll leave plenty so you can decorate up your room as you would like. Who knows, Oriana strikes me as the sort of dame to invite you along too. But we'll see. That's getting quite ahead of ourselves."
Audrey's eyes flash with panic for a moment. "You're leaving? Wolfy, I…I don't want to be alone. Even at night, I just have the most awful thoughts lying alone in bed." She clings to his hand, as if to hold him there with her all through next week.
Wolfgang once again lifts up her hand to kiss it. "Well then, just be on your best behavior and get along together. You will be fine if I do go Star. It's days and days away. You said you were feeling better. It's not like you won't have the club down stairs either…"
Audrey glowers at the bathwater. "I don't want the club downstairs. You think I want people seeing me like this? My god, what if Sharkey came in? Or Ranjali? I couldn't bear it."
Wolfgang shakes his head, "Ranjali hasn't come in since trying to plan for your birthday party. Oh, and I fired Sharkey. But you my Star are a beauty, even 'like this'. Most women hope to look as good as you do right now on their best days. Now, don't pout, let me see those pretty lips smile."
Audrey gives him a steely look. Not quite a glare, but not exactly a smile, either. She splashes sudsy water at him, snorting. "You can't fire Sharkey. Even if you did, two of him would appear in his place. He's like a hydra."
Wolfgang shrugs and doesn't even flinch as she splashes him, now getting his pants wet. "Now you've done it." He says dead pan with water and soap dripping from his face. "I'm going to have to go and change my pants now." He gets a wolfish grin. "I can fire Sharkey. I fired him at least seven times now. Every time he calls to hound me. After all, a good agent would know exactly where you are. If he's that bad you should get a new agent Audrey, really."
"I told you. He's a hydra. If I get rid of him, I curse the world with multiple Sharkeys." Now she's just being silly. "Besides, he may be a goblin in human skin, but he's handled my career well. I can't fire him for doing his job."
Wolfgang chuckles and smiles. "If you burn the stumps they won't grow back. Just unleash some fiend fire on him and test the theory." Can she tell that Sharkey's been a considerable thorn in his side?
Audrey cannot help a little smile at the thought of cauterising Sharkey. "Well, it could be worse. I might have to try to juggle both a wizard manager and a Muggle manager. At least he's a Squib too, and can handle both sides of things." She sighs. "I'll call him…maybe next week."
Wolfgang stands and starts on his belt and gets out of his wet trousers. Much like her he's not shy about it. "I can find you another Squib. What about Sweeney? He can be your new manager. That way when I say, stop calling he'll actually stop calling."
Audrey laughs aloud, an actual merry sound. "Sweeney? Brendan is a darling man, but what in the world does he know about music and theatre? Not to mention cinema. I'm making my debut on the silver screen in a few weeks, after all."
Wolfgang grins, "Well after a year of exposure to two of the greatest entertainers London has to offer, he's had to absorbed some thing." He teases with a grin and lifts up a giant towel after stepping up to the tub. "From Star to prune. Come here you."
Audrey rolls her eyes, shaking her head. "Very droll, darling. But I think it best to leave such work to the professionals. I'm sure you wouldn't trust your career to his large, suspiciously calloused hands." She smirks, and rises from the tub, bubbles sliding off of her naked form. She steps out and turns her back to him, lifting her arms up so he can wrap the towel around her.
Wolfgang wraps her up and attempts to use the towel for leverage to scoop her up and out of the table. But he can't get the right angle and he's no Sweeney so he just grunts before offering his hand to her to help her out of the tub. "I leave my career to my own less large, suspiciously baby smooth hands."
Audrey leans into him, pressing her wet cheek to his bare chest. "Maybe you should be my manager. Think you can handle the world of theatre and cinema? It's not exactly the same game as music."
Wolfgang wraps his arms around her, "The thought did cross my mind the first time I fired Sharkey." He kisses the top of her head and shrugs. "I could at least learn. Give it a shot, if it doesn't work out, I'll find you the best manager."
Audrey chuckles. "We'll see. Sharkey's been with me from almost the start. He's the reason I got my first recording deal." She turns in his arms to look up at him, smiling with a bit less sadness behind her eyes. "Thank you, though." She lifts up on her toes, and presses her lips to his in a tender, lingering kiss.
Wolfgang slides one arm around her waist and the other hand tenderly cups her cheek as he returns the kiss. "You're welcome. Now, let's get you in some old thing, so we have an excuse to spoil you with something new?"
Audrey nibbles at her lip, and for a moment she seems hesitant. But she takes a deep breath and nods. "I think I can manage that," she trails her fingertips along his pectoral muscles as she drifts away from him. "I'll go get changed," she adds, slipping out of the bathroom.