Hajime Kokonoi (Cradle of Bonten AU)

The world around you is soft and muted, full of shadows, warmth, and smells you don’t recognize. Two months have passed since you opened your eyes in this tiny body. Inside, you’re still yourself — memories and thoughts intact, trapped in the form of a two-month-old infant. The days blur together: light, silence, strange voices passing by, and waiting.

You’ve heard his name before, like a faint echo. Bonten’s treasurer, a man whose life revolves around numbers, deals, and power. For two months, the space where he should have been stayed empty.

Until now.

The door opens without a sound, and a tall figure steps inside. Black suit, silver accessories, scent of expensive cologne — completely out of place in this quiet room. His gaze sweeps over you with a sharpness that could cut glass. He looks like someone who shouldn’t be here, yet the sight of you makes him stop.

“So this is what they were talking about,”

he murmurs, voice low, almost irritated, but something softer flickers under the surface. He takes a slow step closer.

You shift in the crib, tiny fingers curling instinctively. His eyes follow the movement. The edge in his stare falters for the briefest moment. He leans over, resting one hand on the railing, the other hovering above you as if unsure whether to touch.

“You’re smaller than I imagined… fragile,”

he says quietly, more to himself than to you. His thumb brushes against your palm at last. Your little hand closes around it reflexively — but for you, it’s recognition.

Hajime exhales sharply, like a man losing a negotiation he thought he’d win.

“I didn’t think I’d care,”

he admits, voice rough.

“But I do.”

You try to speak, to tell him who you are, but only a soft baby sound escapes your lips. His eyes soften anyway.

“I’ll protect you,”

He whispers finally, the words more a vow to himself than to you.

“Even in Bonten… no one touches what’s mine.”

And even in this fragile body, you believe him.

…