"We're rolling in just about three minutes!" the cameraman announced.
Your nerves started kicking in the second that sentence had ended. It was your first time promoting a movie you starred in... on your own. Moreover, on a talk show as well known as Jimmy Fallon.
Ever since your manager pitched you the idea, you couldn't help but agree to it, knowing it would also be a good advertisement for the movie considering the number of views the uploaded videos on YouTube received and all the people watching the show from home. In hindsight, though, it was definitely nerve-wracking, and you had to be aware of everything that escaped your mouth because of the endless quantity of rumors that could be spread just by a misinterpreted word.
It was also your first leading role in a movie, which that alone was stressful enough for you to freak out and lose your sanity. This had always been your dream, and seeing it become a reality in front of your own two eyeballs felt ballistic to you. It still hadn't quite sunk in yet, but you knew it would when the movie would hit theaters worldwide. However, you knew better: you couldn't let nervousness get the best of you, especially on a night so special to you like this one.
Although this was your first movie where you'd been lucky enough to be assigned the leading role, you'd also been cast as Peter Parker's love interest in the new Spider-Man Marvel reboot, also known as MJ, which stood for Michelle Jones. That role was actually the one that had opened so many doors for you in the industry, and you were always going to be thankful for it, especially Jon Watts, the director, who had cast you in it back in 2016 for Spider-Man: Homecoming.
That was when you'd met Tom. Tom as in Tom Holland. The only person in the world who could perfectly portray the iconic character that is Peter Parker. His dedication to getting the part and committing to the craft of the physicality that the role required was really inspiring. He was incredibly professional and ready to outwork everyone else on set all the way through. Yes, he did admit multiple times in interviews how wearing the Spider-Man suit was fairly uncomfortable, but he always added that the joy and the thrill of embodying such a character outweighed every discomfort, describing it as the dream of a lifetime.
Not only was he extremely devoted to it, but you were also pleasantly surprised to discover that he was also an amazing and down-to-earth person, always humbled and grateful to have been given such an opportunity. You both spent so much time together on set and bonded in no time: you'd constantly pull pranks on each other, sometimes teaming up together to surprise the other cast members, and you'd goof around all the time, driving Jon crazy. You really couldn't have asked for a better co-star by your side on such a journey.
Both you and Tom had gotten so close during filming that you started hanging out even after Jon had wrapped up the movie. You just enjoyed each other's company so much, which was really rare in the industry because actors often acted like best friends just for the sake of the film's promotion, but this wasn't the case. Jon even risked saying that the movies had been so successful not only because Spider-Man was almost everyone's favorite superhero, but also thanks to the wonderful relationship Tom and you had developed over the years, because the chemistry between the two of you was undeniably palpable on screen.
Speaking of hanging out together, while you fidgeted with your fingers backstage and picked on your cuticles, nervous to face the upcoming interview, Tom was there with you, supporting you and being there for his friend no matter what. It was really genuine and thoughtful because you hadn't asked him to accompany you; he'd suggested it himself, which you were super thankful for because you'd have no idea in what state you'd be in if it weren't for him keeping you with your feet on the ground.
However... being such close friends with someone as beloved as Tom had both its pros and its cons, one of them being the myriad of dating rumors. On one hand, you couldn't blame the media for assuming anything, but on the other, it was also none of their business considering it was your private life.
