Missing Piece | Tom Holland

22 | ❛ Mistakes All Around ❜

❛ Allowed to mess up ❜

Blair looked down at her right hand where a wrinkled piece of paper sat in between her fingers. She stared at the Russian writing, a sigh leaving her lips. "Where?" she demanded, her eyes leaving the paper as they slowly drew up to the teenager in front of her, watching as he gulped and shuffled in his baggy jeans. "T-the plane that Mr. Stark had me fly here on? I-it dropped from his bag," Tom sheepishly and shyly responded.

He tilted his head to the side as Blair looked back down at the paper, studying it very carefully. "It's yours, isn't it?"

Blair narrowed her eyes at Tom before leaning over to grab her duffel from the floor, preparing to leave the small hotel lobby and escape into the dark night so she could go meet with Chris in the other room. "Why did I find you with this?" Blair quietly asked, an intimidating tone to her low voice. "I-I was trying to translate it. I don't speak Russian," Tom shrugged. Blair huffed, "It is not yours, do not dare to cross me, you little bug. You know nothing," Blair sneered with her thick accent.

Tom's mouth dropped open and he tried to find words but could not. Silence overcame the two teenagers before he finally held out his hand, "I know that Steve Rogers is wrong," he blurted out, making Blair scoff quietly. "I know that you followed Mr. Stark here to spy on him for Steve but never really had the intention of helping Mr. Stark. I know that you were arrested in Vienna when you were supposed to be at a diplomat meeting with the Black Widow. I know Mr. Stark made you stay here, and that you have that bag because you're leaving, probably to Steve so you can fight Mr. Stark tomorrow," Tom rushed out, him taking a small step forward.

Blair stared at his feet as he moved forwards. "Tony Stark is wrong. I am not a part of the US Government, and I am not a citizen of the putrid country you so proudly call home. I am fighting to help myself, not Steve Rogers. Shame on you, little bug. There are no teams in this war we have prepared for ourselves, there are individuals fighting for..." Blair trailed off her sentence before pursing her lips and looking at the ground as she tried to remember her next line. "Fighting for..." she started again as she took a deep breath and finally looked towards the director, "Line?" she choked out in fear, feeling instantly small as if the world around her just enlarged and she was inferior to all around her.

The director sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, "We're never going to get this scene," he nuked under his breath before sliding off his seat, "Everyone take ten!" he shouted before tramping off towards a trailer.

Tears formed on the brim of Blair's eyes as she took a small step back before dropping her prop on the ground and rushing off away from the set. She quickly made her way to her trailer where she ran up the steps and slammed into the door, allowing it to close loudly behind her.

"Mabel, wait!" Tom called after her as she rushed away before he could congratulate her for the good scenework that she did do well. He hopped up the stairs after her as the door shut in his face and he huffed before pushing himself into the girl's trailer. "Mabel?" he called out, not seeing the girl in the living room. "Dude, where did you go?" he muttered to himself knowing that she had only entered the room seconds before he did. "Go away, Tom," her voice sniffled from the bedroom.

Tom approached the door that hid her bedroom from her living room and he slowly opened it, seeing the girl slumped in her chair with her body sideways so her legs were hanging over the large armrest. Tears ran down her face and she quickly wiped them away with a loud sniffle. "We had monologues, Mabel. You're allowed to mess up," he said as he entered the room, stepping over to the girl and crouching down beside her. "Tom, you don't get it, okay?" she said while shaking her head.

The man placed a hand on her arm but she quickly shook it off, "Why don't I get it? We're both actors, M."

"What do you know? You're the oldest, have millions of fangirls cooing over you, and have the entertainment industry bowing at your feet. Not to mention you're British!"

Tom laughed a bit and a small smile formed on Blair's face before another tear fell on her cheek and she looked away, "It all has to be perfect, Tom," she whispered, closing her eyes tight to stop the flowing of her tears. "Mabel, I worry about you," he admitted. "Where is all this coming from?"

Blair looked at him in shock, "Where? What do you mean, where? Tom, this has been my life for almost twenty years!"

Tom raised an eyebrow, "I'm not sure I know what you mean..."

"My brothers are so incredibly famous, Tom, that everything I do... God! I'm compared to my brothers in every way! They made my life for me and I'm not living up to it! You think I changed my name because of a stupid video game? I hated the name Mabel because they made fun of it! They made me hate it! They made me hate myself, Tom!" she cried out, staring into Tom's eyes as her soft cries became sobs.

"I- "

"Everything has always been 'Your brothers did this,' 'Your brothers did that,' 'Why don't you do what your brothers did,' 'Your brothers were so good at this.' I don't care! I don't fucking care what my brothers did! I never wanted to be an actor, but it was handed down to me! If I mess up then they hate me more! I'll never be good enough for them, Tom!" Blair screamed out in frustration as she let out all her emotions that she had held in for so long.

"I-I-I-I will never be good enough," she realized as she covered her face with her hands and broke down in front of someone who three months ago she would never even imagine herself talking to.

Tom bit his lower lip before sighing, "You don't need to be good enough for them, Mabel. You don't have to please everyone. Okay, y-you're good enough for this entire world, but it isn't good enough for you," he began slowly, sitting up taller on his knees as he carefully turned Blair's head to face his own, his hands cupping her cheeks softly.

"You rehearse everywhere, hardly ever taking a break. You push yourself to these limits to impress your brothers, but all you should want is to impress yourself. Do you hear me?"

Blair cried out softly, looking down, but Tom moved her head to look back up at him, "Mabel, do you hear me?"

The girl nodded and Tom used his thumb to swipe away her tears. "You are the best actress I have ever met in my entire life, and that will never change because of how two people compare you to themselves. If they can't appreciate amazing talent then they aren't looking in the right place. You got here on your own, not with them making a path for you or giving you expectations or anything you think. I think you're amazing as you, not as a Sprouse," he whispered, connecting his forehead with hers as she closed her eyes and leaned against him. "Thank you, Tom," she whimpered.

Tom wrapped his arms around her and tugged her close. He didn't mutter a thank you, or a no problem. He instead just let the moment last as he hugged someone who deserved so much more than the world would ever give her.

And he let it be.