Yet another song fic, and my second one on the Matt and his dad relationship, and his dad's a drunk in this one. It's a song fic to a song called "Walk A Little Straighter" by Billy Currington. It's set after his parent's divorce, when he's 18, and then when he's going to be a dad soon. I don't own Digimon or "Walk A Little Straighter" by Billy Currington.
Walk A Little Straighter
by taidigimon
"Hey Dad, are you here?" ten-year-old Matt asked the empty apartment.
"No, of course not," Matt said, dropping his book bag in his room and going to do his homework.
I remember lookin' up to look up to him
And I remember most of the time he wasn't there
Around nine, Matt was by the door of the apartment when his dad got home.
"Hey, Dad, today, I got 100% on my spelling test, and..." he stopped, because his dad and walked right past him and Matt knew he was on his way to the den, for some beer and T.V.
I'd be waiting at the door when he got home at night
He'd pass me by to go pass out in his chair
And I said...
And Matt fell into the old habit that he had done since his mother had left. He said, softly, "Walk a little straighter, Daddy, you're swaying side to side," he started to follow his fathers footsteps in the thick carpet, "your footsteps make me dizzy, and no matter how hard I try, I keep tripping and stumbling, if you looked down here you'd see. Walk a little straighter Daddy. You're leading me." His voice sounded teary as he did this.
As he came the place where the footsteps started to lead to the den, he turned to go to his room.
Walk a little straighter, Daddy
You're swayin' side to side
Your footsteps make me dizzy
And no matter how I try
I keep trippin' and stumblin'
If you'd look down here you'd see
Walk a little straighter, Daddy
You're leading me
"Hey, Dad, I'm going now!" Matt yelled from the kitchen to his father, 8 years later.
Getting no response, he yelled, "Because I'm graduating!"
Still no response. Matt turned away, and went out the door. He was surprised to find Tai there. Before he could say anything Tai said, "You were taking quite a while, and no, I didn't bring anyone else with me."
"I was telling my Dad where'd I was going. I'm not sure now, that he knows."
"That's OK, I think."
"It's not like he notices, anyway."
They had then reached Tai's and his family's house, so he could stop and get the keys to his dad's sports car. As Tai came in the house, with Matt behind him, his dad handing him the keys and opened his mouth.
"Yes, dad, I know. Don't crash it. Don't take the top down. Don't dent it. Don't parallel park it. Don't park in backwards. I know, I know."
Tai's mom then walked up. "Yes, Peter, he knows. Now leave the poor boy alone. We'll be there in an hour, sweetie," his mother told him, "Oh, and it's nice to see you Matt. Is your father coming?" The only person who had ever seen his father was Tai.
"Um...I'm not sure, Mrs. Kamiya."
"Well, I hope he does! This is an important day!"
"Yes, Mrs. Kamiya."
"You two should be going now. Go!"
Both boys left and Tai said, "This is the first time I'm going to drive something besides the van..."
"Don't worry, you're a good driver, Tai."
"Thanks," Tai said, smiling, "let's go!"
Tai and Matt got to the high school with out anything out of the ordinary happening. After the graduation assembly had started, the back door to the gym opened, and Matt's father came in through the door, stumbling. Everyone was looking at him and Matt was blushing light red. Matt's father sat down by the door. Everyone soon lost interest, and they started to call out names.
He stumbled in the gym on graduation day
And I couldn't help but feel so ashamed
"Inoue, Kagome" One of Yolei's sisters. Matt's father then stood up and left. Tai look at his friend, and he didn't seem surprised at all.
I wasn't surprised a bit that he didn't stay
He stumbled out before they called my name
And I thought...
Matt thought back to what he used to always want to say to his father, and wished he could tell him now.
'Walk a little straighter Dad. You're swaying from side to side. It's not just watching you; you've caught everyone's eye. You're tripping and stumbling, and even though I've turned eighteen, you're still leading me,' Matt thought, as a tear slid out from under his eye.
Walk a little straighter, Daddy
You're swayin' side to side
It's not just me who's watchin'
You caught everybody's eye
And you're trippin' and stumblin'
And even though I've turned eighteen
Walk a little straighter, Daddy
You're still leading me
"Matt! Someone's here for you!"
"Thanks, honey," Matt said, getting the door from his wife, 3 more years later. His wife was going to have their first child in a few months. Mat's eyes went wide when he saw his father was at the door.
"Matt," his father told him in his husky voice, "I just wanted you to know that no matter what it seemed like when you were young, I have always loved you."
"Thanks Dad," Matt said smiling, hugging his father, "Would you like to come in?..."
"No thanks, I need to get home."
As Matt turned to go inside, his wife came up to him and asked him how it was.
"He may be the same as he always was, but I love him all the same. I have learned something important, from him," He said as he sat down on the couch with her.
The old man's still like he always was
But I love him anyway
If I've learned one thing from him
It's my kids will never have to say...
"What's that?"
"Our children will never have to say 'Walk a little straighter, Daddy. You're swaying side to side. Your footsteps make me dizzy and no matter how I hard I try, I keep tripping and stumbling. If you'd look down here you'd see. Walk a little straighter Daddy. You're leading me.' "
Walk a little straighter, Daddy
You're swayin' side to side
Your footsteps make me dizzy
And no matter how I try
I keep trippin' and stumplin'
If you'd look down here you'd see
Walk a little straighter, Daddy
You're leading me
She smiled. "They'll never have to worry about that because their mother would make sure their father walks straight and always remembers that he's a role model. They both smiled.
Yeah, walk a little straighter, Daddy
You're leading me
Matt lived the rest of his life happy, never once drinking alcohol, even out living his oldest son.
THE END!!!!
~*~
So what do you guys think? You've got to review to tell me! Thanks for reading! -taidigimon