[Summary: Little kid Souji doesn't like the elephant slide at Junes, but maybe if Yosuke's there, it's okay.]

[Author's notes: This one isn't meant to be shippy, just cute. It takes place in the Nanako Explains It All universe (another fic of mine), where Nanako and Souji are role-swapped. So Nanako is the Investigation Team leader and Souji is a 6 year old. And Yosuke is just Yosuke.

There was a scene in it where little Souji didn't want to go down the elephant slide, so this is a continuation of that idea hehe.]

Day 13 - Junes

It was a lazy Sunday. To pass the time, Nanako had brought her little cousin Souji to Junes to have some ice cream. She didn't plan it, but Yosuke was there too. Honestly she didn't need to have planned it; sometimes it felt like Yosuke lived at Junes. Like he was just waiting for someone to come hang out with him. Nanako shook her head. That thought was silly.

Anyway, he'd joined them at the food court, and now they were sitting at one of the round plastic tables, chatting while Souji ate the ice cream she'd bought for him.

"So how long does it take for you to get the Junes song out of your head after you've worked a shift here?" Nanako asked conversationally. It was playing on an infinite loop out here, apparently for maximum ear-worm potential.

"Not long, really," Yosuke said. "You just gotta drown it out with another tune." He tapped the ever-present headphones around his neck with a knowing look.

"Sou-chan," Nanako said, "do you like the Junes song? You know, I don't think I've shown you the full video."

So focused on his ice cream, the little boy didn't answer.

Watching Souji now, Yosuke noticed the flavor he was eating. "Neo Featherman ice cream again?" he teased.

"It's... nea...p-politan," Souji stuttered out with a cute little frown. He didn't turn his attention away from the ice cream and ate another spoonful.

"Right," Yosuke said, "and you're eating the chocolate first, just like you told me last time. Good idea!"

"I like the strawberry..."

"Next time we can just get strawberry," Nanako suggested.

"I like the chocolate too..."

"You can't please some people," Yosuke said. "Or at least, some six year olds."

Souji began to work on the strawberry next, systematically separating it from the remaining vanilla. It wasn't easy to do what with how melted it was by now, but that didn't stop him from trying.

"Hey, Nanako," Yosuke said. "You ever let Souji play on the playground up here?"

Nanako shrugged. "It's not really about 'let.' He's never shown an interest. Remember the elephant slide?"

"Yeah, but there are tons of other toys! Though we're thinking about getting rid of the sandbox because it's too messy. Imagine that, I can finally stop sweeping it up every shift!"

"Remember, he doesn't like to dirty his clothes," Nanako said. "It's a lost cause."

"His clothes are always nice," Yosuke mused. "Huh?"

Souji was tugging at Yosuke's shirt. "P-partner, can we...?"

Yosuke blinked down at him. "What's up, kiddo? Done with your ice cream?"

Souji made a face at being called 'kiddo' rather than 'partner.' Then he turned his head towards the playground. Yosuke followed his gaze to the elephant slide.

"I thought you hated that," Yosuke said.

Souji made another face and tugged harder at his shirt.

"Fine, fine!" Yosuke said. "Don't tear a hole in my shirt."

Souji grinned at him, took his hand and pulled him towards the slide, though he slowed as they neared it, his enthusiasm dampening as he remembered, apparently, how big and scary it was.

"You really wanna do this?" Yosuke asked.

Souji held his hand in both of his own tiny hands as if clinging to it. After a moment, though, he nodded.

Despite that, he made no move towards the ladder. As the moment dragged on, Yosuke asked, "Do you want me to carry you or something?"

Souji looked up at him in surprise. "You can carry me?"

"Hey, I may not look as strong as Kanji, but I'm no pushover."

"He's totally a pushover," Nanako called from the table.

Yosuke ignored her. He picked Souji up and set him on his shoulders in one quick motion.

"T-tall..." Souji said from his new position.

"Okay, I'm not taller than Kanji," Yosuke admitted. "How do you like it up there? See any airplanes?"

"No," Souji said. "But there are b-birds..."

"Birds? Where?"

Souji pointed. A couple of pigeons were munching on some long-gone customer's leftover fries. Yosuke sighed. "I'll have to clean that up later. Anyway, it's slide time—H-hey, what are you?"

Souji had begun to play with his hair, crinkling the stiff strands that he'd so carefully gelled into shape this morning.

"Souji," Yosuke whined.

"I guess he's not a fan of the floppy hair look," Nanako said.

"He should be one to talk!" Yosuke sighed, then lifted his head to look up at Souji. "Do you want to go down the slide or not?"

Souji let go of his hair. There was a long pause, then a quiet, "Y-yeah..."

"All right," Yosuke said. "We're going up!"

He climbed the ladder easily—it only had four rungs—and before he knew it he was already at the top of the slide. It didn't seem right to go down the slide with Souji on his shoulders, though. Yosuke sat at the top, stretching his legs before him, preparing himself to go down. Then he took Souji down and settled him on his lap.

"Good?" he asked.

Souji sat back, nestling comfortably into his chest. Yosuke's chin ended up resting right on his head.

"L-let's go," Souji said when he was ready.

No more ceremony was needed. Yosuke pushed off and down they went.

"Wheeee," he said.

The journey lasted all of half a second, but both Souji and Yosuke were giggling by the end.

"All right," Yosuke said. He gently nudged Souji's back, trying to get him out of his lap. "Let's go back to your big sis."

"N-no!" Souji said, not moving an inch.

"Huh? No?"

"Let's go... again!"

"Again...?" Yosuke stared for a second, and then broke into a wide grin. Nanako would totally bother him later for this, but... You were only a kid once. "You got it, partner," he said.