antihero. f. tatis jr

✿ i'll stare directly at the sun but never in the mirror.

"Do you ever feel like you're being used?"

✿

Serena Lense (Therapist)

Hey. Here.

Come in

✿

"You know you can just come in if you feel like it." Serena suggested, as Fernando sunk into the sofa across from her.

"What if there was another client in here?" He lifted an eyebrow.

"It's the off-season. I'm not supposed to have clients."

"Then why are you talking to me?"

"The organization needs you."

He smirked at this opinion. In return, Serena turned her head before catching a glimpse of herself in the glass and readjusting her hat.

"Let's see, where'd we leave off at last time...?" Serena started. She in fact, knew exactly what they had been talking about. However, the conversation ended rather... uncomfortably. Therefore, she didn't want to push the subject again. She was planning on just re-circling around it.

"I don't know," he shrugged, cracking his fingers while looking down at the fuzzy rug on the floor, "Do you ever feel like you're being used?" he asked out of the blue.

"More times than I can count, yes. Have you?" S returned, shifting the conversation back into him.

"Yeah. A lot, actually."

"For what?"

"Publicity and money."

"Why?"

He sat in silence for a moment, cracking his fingers, "They love me now because I'm making them money."

"Who's they?"

"My mom. Dad. Family, friends... all of them."

"Why do you think they love you more because you're making them money?" The conversation was starting to pick up where they left off yesterday. Serena could admit this went a lot faster than expected.

"It keeps them relevant. Let's be real here, I can't name that many people who knew who my dad was before I showed up. Not to mention... they like to live a rich lifestyle and brag about how successful I am to their other friends. They flaunt the house I bought them. They flaunt everything I do."

"And you don't think it's because they're proud of you?"

"No, they are proud of me." He was hesitant for a moment, "Wait, no... they aren't. They're using me Serena."

"Have you ever thought—" she started.

"It's not because they've finally connected with me. I found baseball a long time ago and it sure as hell wasn't because of them. It was my thing to get away from them and they make it sound like they made me."

This conversation was starting to spiral off in many different branches.

"Fernando," she stated softly, "They're proud of you because you're following your dreams and they can finally see you fully happy. They didn't—" Serena cut herself off. Fernando was glaring at her, "I didn't grow up like you, though." She saved herself. This subject was once again falling up, so she decided to change it, "How have things been with your teammates? I know you mentioned something about them last time you were here."