#posting this at a horrible time but jftfgfh

[natasha-in-space]

Charmed

Butler!SE Saeran/princess!cmc Natasha Stakh;

Saeran is a devoted butler to the young princess Natalie, the only way for him to escape his father's clutches and live a somewhat free life. He was resolved to this being his new normal, having no choice but to do what is expected of him, or face ruthless consequences. What he wasn't expecting is to eventually find himself feeling more affection for the very same princess he is meant to serve, than is allowed.

AO3 link.

Picrews used for the banner: Saeran, Natasha

Becoming a butler for the royal family is not something Saeran had done by choice. In fact, the mere thought of dedicating his entire existence to serving someone who was inherently superior to him in every way made him feel sick to his stomach. It was a rather cruel irony, really. One he had to eventually come to terms with, whether he wanted to or not. And that is the simple fact that his form of 'freedom' looked like yet another rope tied around his throat, just looser than the last one.

Despite all of his efforts, at the end of the day, he is unable to escape from his own flesh and blood.

He would never wish upon anyone to be born a bastard. His life has been already preplanned for him even before he took his first breath. Simply because of the identity of his parents. His father, to be more exact. A man with enough power under his fingertips to rid himself of anyone he deemed unfit to be associated with his image. For reasons both big and small. He and his brother had to survive in a state of fear, hunger, and isolation for as long as he can remember. Living out their childhood years in fear of being pursued and killed at any corner. Their mother's constant violent outbursts and heavy drinking was only yet another morbid detail to add to this messed up painting that was their life.

And, although Saeran didn't want to admit it, deep inside, he knew Saeyoung was the only reason he was even still alive. Getting them both jobs under the royal family of a neighboring kingdom was also his brother's achievement, not his own. What frustrated Saeran most of all is all the secrecy around this 'sweet' deal. A part of him still felt bitter and hurt over Saeyoung not trusting him enough to just tell him what this deal really meant for them both. And while his older twin had the strength and resilience to become a knight... all he was good for is serving as a butler. To the young princess, to be exact.

Saeyoung would never let him get his hands on a blade, anyways.

Not the life he would have dreamed of, but... Saeran has learned not to dream anymore a long time ago.

The young man briskly makes his way through the luxurious hallways of the castle on his way to princess Natalie's bedroom in the early morning. As always, he already ensured his sharp suit looked pristine by thoroughly checking over his appearance in the long full-body mirror that was so graciously placed in his bed chambers. He would always make sure he looked acceptable to be seen before even thinking of stepping foot outside. The only thing that is out of order is his collar, which was left just slightly loose. Not enough to notice at first glance, but just enough for him to rid himself of the constant pressure against his throat that would make his fingers itch to tug the cursed tie away.

He doesn't particularly like having his clothes restrict his breathing... And these suits were rather stuffy as it is. The brushing of his red unruly locks was done somewhat hastily but gracefully nonetheless. His dark circles under his eyes were a flaw impossible to remove, though.

He is required to look presentable as a butler for a member of royalty, after all.

Finally, he reaches his destination and takes a deep breath before knocking rhythmically on the princess' door. Though, he is quickly left feeling puzzled by the lack of an answer this time around. Despite him standing by the door for a couple more minutes patiently, she never openes it to greet him like she usually would.

There is a mix of annoyance and concern filling his chest. On the one hand, he grew slightly worried about the princess. What if something had happened to her? God knows members of the royal family were always a sought-after target for all kinds of immoral things. He should know, even if he's not technically royalty. More like a dirty roach that refuses to die, no matter how much his father had tried over the years. On the other hand, however, he had a pretty good idea on what was likely going on here. And he was not particularly fond of it. Saeran sheds a heavy sigh.

He would rather not have her hurt in any way, but he thought he had taught her better than that at this point. If his guess is indeed correct, it was definitely for someone of the royal family. Then again, Natalie - or, Natasha as she has asked him to call her behind closed doors, much to his own bewilderment - was never that becoming of a conventional member of the royal family.

Although he has a gruff huff falling from his lips, Saeran still enters her bedroom without any further warning. He doesn't feel at all surprised when what he sees is a big lump huddled on the bed, hidden under the fluffy covers and not caring about a single thing happening around it. With a roll of his eyes, he slams the door shut, a bit louder than necessary, in order to wake the unlucky princess when he approached her bed.

"...You're supposed to be awake by this time, you know?"

"-Wah!"

The aforementioned princess instantly jolts upright with a startled squeak in response to the loud slam of the door, looking around with panicked and disoriented eyes. If there was any doubt in Saeran's mind before now, it has disappeared by now. She was obviously sound asleep. Once she sees that Saeran was the source of her sudden awakening, though, she lets out a huge breath of relief and falls back onto the bed, groaning from her jerky movements just now.

"I, uh... overslept. A little." She mumbles groggily, sounding almost like a guilty child who just got caught stealing from the cookie jar.

Saeran can only roll his eyes for the second time this morning, crossing his arms over his chest. Sometimes he seriously wonders how in the world had she managed to survive in the ruthless world of royalty up until now. Nothing about her screams of pompous nobility, except for her extravagant surroundings. Whether this is a good thing, or a bad thing, he isn't so sure.

"You overslept? Overslept, huh...? How very, very unbecoming of you." He says sternly. "What if it was the Queen who had entered your chambers instead of me? You'd be punished for sure."

He walks on over towards the princess, still laying under her fluffy blankets on the bed, getting ever closer to her as he spoke. "Am I not guiding you properly? I told you yesterday to be sure to wake up early in the morning. To dress and be ready. You have an important day ahead of you. And what do you do instead?"

It is a rather peculiar scene. A butler scolding his princess. Though, their dynamic was almost backwards. In a way, Saeran never thought much of the fact that he could behave like this towards the one he was meant to serve, and not worry about getting punished. In fact, in the last six months of his service to her, Natasha had never once used her inherent position of power over him.

Maybe that's why he is so open with her.

"It's not like I can control it! Not my fault I sleep like a log..." Natasha whines, rubbing the sleep from her eyes as she sits back up in bed, her long hair cascading messily down her back and shoulders. "Usually Mrs. Brown wakes me up... But, she left on a trip with my father yesterday, so I have to wake up on my own. And I found this very interesting book last night, and I swear intended to go to sleep right after reading a couple of chapters, but..."

Saeran sighs. From what he has learned so far, Mrs. Brown was Princess Natalie's personal maid from her young age, serving her with the utmost devotion a servant could possess within them. In fact, castle rumors have it that the princess considers Mrs. Brown to be more of a mother figure than the Queen herself. It was probably not so surprising, considering that Mrs. Brown was there by her side as she grew up throughout the years, while her mother was always too preoccupied with her royal duties.

He thinks there are definitely some drawbacks to being royalty. He refuses to let her slack off like that, though. It is his duty to keep the princess in check. Especially over something like this. So, he keeps it up with his scolding tone.

"You still don't wake alone?" There is a hint of irritation in his tone when he says it. "Even so, why are you still in your nightgown? Don't you ever get ready in the morning? Or do you need someone to do it for you?"

He continues to move closer. As he does, he notices how messy her hair looked... Princess Natalie's luscious dark hair reached all the way down to her waist in length, but it was usually put up into a proper hairstyle fit for a princess. Right now, though, she looks almost like an average young woman who just woke up in her bed with bedhair and all. And, paradoxically, he can't help but note how pretty she looked in spite of it. Or maybe because of it. He finds this to be more authentic than anything he has seen from her yet.

His heart rate increases slightly.

"Didn't I tell you to dress... like... proper royalty is supposed to do?"

"I just woke up!" Natasha huffs at him a little. And, admittedly, she has a point. He is starting to talk nonsense, for whatever reason.

That only makes him double down on his approach, though.

"Still!" Saeran says. "Do you know what would happen if anyone else saw you in this... state?"

He looks around, feeling oddly upset about the idea. It was a serious source of frustration for him. Or maybe that's what he'd like to think.

"It's improper, unbecoming-"

He pauses his rant abruptly, but his attention is piqued by her sleepy green eyes staring back up at him in a mix of confusion and slight irritability. He leans closer to examine them. Now that he thinks about it, he never saw Natasha be genuinely angry before. She would grow frustrated at his scoldings, yes, but instead of screaming at him or using her authority over him, she would just pout and huff. Like they were not a mere a servant and a princess. Like they were actual equals who could allow themselves to be direct and honest with each other.

Honesty was something he lacked in his life.

"...You look adorable." He mumbles without any thought. His musings don't make him any less upset, but... he can't help admiring her.

He doesn't even realize he actually said his inner thoughts outloud. Not until he sees her reaction.

She blinks, clearly astonished by his sudden comment. It probably seemed pretty obvious that he didn't even intend to say that outloud. Which is exactly the case.

"Uh... Thank... you...?" She replies rather clumsily, clearly unsure of how to respond to that. Curse their shared ineptness at dealing with compliments.

Saeran quickly comprehends what he actually just said after witnessing her reaction. He feels embarrassed. He quickly looks away to collect himself, clearing his throat and ignoring the heat rushing to his cheeks.

Better act like nothing happened.

"So... do you have a specific gown in mind for today?" In an effort to stay on track, he asks. "The Queen will be here in 10 minutes. You still haven't even started getting ready."

He is still embarrassed by what he said, which is exactly why he is so eager to change the focus of the conversation as soon as possible.

Her eyes quickly go wide, and all signs of sleep disappear almost in an instant.

"In ten minutes!? Why didn't you say so from the start!?"

Natasha almost leaps out of bed, with the utmost grace of a young doe, hastily opening her closet doors and grabbing the very first gown she touches. It seems like the notion of being chewed out by her mother first thing in the morning quickly rids her of her morning sleepiness. He should keep that in mind for future... incidents.

Particularly as this is definitely not the first time this has happened.

Saeran's eyebrows raise slightly when she reacts so abruptly to his comment. He can't help but admire her speed, though, as he observes her quickly looking for a gown to wear.

"That's what I was trying-" As she finds a dress for today, he stops speaking. His eyes widen ever so slightly as he takes in the dress and its... details. "Uh... not that gown. That won't do."

His words come out in an awkward gruff mumble, and his heart suddenly beats faster in his chest, for a reason completely unknown to him. Just a natural response to her peculiar choice in garments. Nothing else.

Natasha only groans, though, seemingly not noticing his rather stunted response whatsoever. "I don't have time to sort through my wardrobe. Whatever gown I grabbed will have to do."

And so, she simply dashes into her closet, not even giving him a chance to call out after her or respond. He is supposed to help her get dressed, since they were in such a predicament... But, it seems like she was just fine with doing so on her own. In fact, she works rather quickly to change out of her nightgown and slip into the dress she has grabbed. Saeran was content to just sigh and focus his antsy energy on making her bed while she changes. With a huff, she soon darts out of the closet after approximately five or so minutes, much to his amazement. Even though he can clearly observe several flaws he'll have to fix for her later. His eye was always better trained to notice these small but important details, after all.

He looks down at her figure, inspecting the gown as it sits upon her now. The dress is crafted from fine silk, in sleek shades of blue and black, accentuated by a silver trim. The fabric hugs her petite body in all the right ways, its cut allowing for subtle movements without compromising modesty. Though it is still a modest design, the fit and fabric gives it a somewhat seductive air nonetheless. But, at the moment, she is obviously far too focused on avoiding her mother's annoying lectures to care. Without noticing his rather blatant staring, she hurriedly grabs a comb and attempts to reshape her hair.

It appears that she was not performing well. Her hair is far too long and thick for it to accommodate such jerk and rash movements.

Saeran finds himself quietly chuckling and shaking his head. Did she lack all knowledge on how to take care of herself properly? How ungraceful of her. For some reason, he finds it appealing to observe, though.

He likes her ungraceful and fumbling like this.

Saeran observes her getting ready for a few self-indulgent moments. He has to admit that she looked really pretty. Not that he'd ever tell her that. At least, he hopes so, considering that earlier incident of him just blurting out his inner thoughts to her without any filter put in place.

He looks away, but he can't help sneaking a look at her waist while she is fixing the dress and trying on some loose ribbons. How she looks at this moment is making him feel... funny... and he feels very much embarrassed about it.

"I can help you get your hair looking proper..." He mumbles softly, his voice quiet and barely audible.

"Oh, please do." Natasha responds, putting her hands on the table while sighing. He is able to observe that she is already feeling quite tired. Which isn't all that surprising, since she just jumped out of bed so quickly and had to get ready in such a hurry. Moving so rashly without giving her body a chance to fully wake up is not good for her well-being. He supposes that the thought of dealing with another lecture on proper etiquette from her mother is much more intimidating for her, though.

Saeran sighes as he observes her exhaustion. Without a doubt, this princess was a different sort of breed entirely.

He walkes on slowly towards her and starts combing through her long locks of hair, making careful adjustments here and there. Despite his gruff tone, his touch is oddly light and careful. Not a single tug can be felt, and his fingers effortlessly work through each individual knot with the grace only the finest of servants could brag about. Then again, he was considered one of the most valued staff in the castle due to his skills alone. Believe it or not, he is more than capable of maintaining the proper appearance of a perfect butler.

He is able to breathe freely when he is alone with princess Natalie behind closed doors, however. Maybe a part of him is taking care of her by his own volition at this point in time... He isn't so sure anymore.

"How did you get it this messy? You're like a bird's nest." He mumbles, attempting to avoid looking at her exposed neck while working on her hair. He is putting in a lot of effort. Maybe a bit too much.

Why does it appear so smooth and soft, anyway?

"I slept." Natasha replies clearly. Well, he can't really say much about that.

"...Of course you did." Saeran murmurs.

After verifying that her hair is smooth and free of any more knots, he carefully braids it into a bubble braid. He doesn't want to completely put her hair up like it usually is today, for some reason. He likes it better like this. It fit her better. When completed, he takes a small step back and keeps adjusting her hair here and there, making sure that it looks flawless, as well as fixing up some flaws on her gown.

Despite all that, he is careful not to accidentally brush his fingers against the bare skin of her neck or collarbones.

Natasha breaths out a huge sigh of relief once she knows she looks presentable enough, so that her mother won't have anything to nag her about when she inevitably comes in. "Oh thank God. I thought I was a goner."

Saeran tries not to laugh.

"Now," He utters, clearing his throat. "Don't ever let me see you in such an... unbecoming state again."

He tries to conceal his flustered state by clearing his throat again. Is it just him or is the air in here a bit stuffy today? He should really open up the windows once all is done.

"Go on, the Queen will arrive soon." He speaks while stepping away from her.

"Like you wake up all preppy and suited up. Then again, with how snooty you are, I will not be surprised to know that you sleep with your dress shoes still on and in full three piece suit." Natasha snorts and rolls her eyes at him in the mirror.

Saeran's breath catches in his throat. His scoldings are met with a cheeky response from her that he was not expecting. This was certainly getting improper. But that's not what is on his mind right now.

"-Shut up," No matter how hard he tries, his face flushes red again as he mumbles. "That's not how I sleep. I just-"

He gets cut off while trying to gather his bearings.

God, she got him well.

"...Don't be insolent. Get ready for the Queen. Understand?"

The merry smile now tugging at the corners of her lips suggests that his reply did not help much with his predicament.

"What? Don't like the taste of your own medicine, hm?" Natasha chuckles at his reaction, shaking her head. It is definitely fortunate that she doesn't tease him any more, instead choosing to sit on the bed and rest her head. All that panicked preparation probably left her feeling a bit woozy, especially since she literally just woke up mere minutes ago. So, he can't really blame her for wanting to take a breather for a moment or two.

Her snickers cause Saeran to narrow his eyes, though. He doesn't like being the one who gets put on the spot like that.

"Shut up," He mumbles again and moves closer to her side. He observes her sitting on her bed and then sighs, his shoulders lowering as he visibly relaxed. "Don't get too comfortable. I still need you to be ready by the time the Queen arrives."

"I will, I will." Natasha waves her hand in a dismissive manner. "I just need to rest my head for a moment, I feel all woozy after jumping straight out of bed and getting myself in check in less than ten minutes."

Saeran sighs again, his eyes fixed on her face.

"Just... don't fall asleep." He mumbles. He doesn't want to hear her snore... or, more importantly, he doesn't want to hear how cute her snores must have sounded.

...He seriously needs to clear his head.

"Who do you take me for? I don't fall asleep so haphazardly." Natasha puffs out her cheeks, seemingly feeling a bit insulted. She is not taking it seriously, of course, he can see that clear as day. Moreover, it's not like she can blame him for thinking that in the first place. She is a big disorganized mess without him there to keep her in check. And she is pretty self-aware, compared to most of her relatives. "-And you said she was going to be here in ten minutes! Who did I dress up as quickly as a racing horse for?"

"Well... The Queen didn't mention what time she'd be coming, only that she will eventually be here. And I'm glad you got dressed quickly... Because..." Saeran halts himself from saying it. He is unable to express his liking for the look of her figure, especially with the dress she is wearing.

Thankfully, the princess is far too caught off-guard by his sneaky trick to pay any mind to his wandering looks.

"What!? So I could get dressed in my own pace without any worry!? Why'd you trick me like that!?" Natasha huffs and gazes at him with clear irritation. Though, it still looks more amusing than scary. He doesn't feel any fear in her presence.

"Because... Because I'm your butler." Saeran has a slightly teasing tone in that last part, just to poke a little fun at her. "And I have to make sure that you are awake and prepared at all times, you know?”

With a smug gaze, he leans closer to her and looks at her eyes.

"Even if it meant lying to you…"

Her face is filled with an annoyed expression. She straightens her back, seemingly trying to appear like a figure of authority to him. It doesn't work. "Lying to your princess is a serious offense, Mr. Choi."

Saeran smiles, feeling pretty confident all of the sudden. He doesn't even notice that he is genuinely smiling right now. How long has it been since he showed a true smile to someone?

"But, what can the princess do about it?"

He shifts his gaze from her eyes to her lips.

"Nothing," He murmurs, almost under his breath.

He sees her eyes widen, hears her breath hitch ever so slightly, feels the air around them thicken in a way that is oddly unfamiliar to him, yet so alluring. Seconds feel like hours, and his heart is suddenly pounding so hard, he can hear it echoing in his temples.

The unmistakable sound of a door being open breaks apart the silent moment, as they both jolt apart so quickly, it's almost like they got burned by one another. Saeran is quickly thrust back into reality once he sees the Queen's firm gaze boring into him, and he wastes no time backing a proper distance away and bowing his head. His movements shakier than usual.

He doesn't know whether the Queen actually saw... whatever that was, and whether or not it will result in some consequences on his behalf. She doesn't give out any clues. Merely excusing him out of the room and turning her attention towards her daughter.

As Saeran walks through the halls, almost in a daze, a single thought keeps circling around in his head.

...What was that?