A/N: For my good friend Strawberry_Usagi_ on Instagram. Her favorite ship. The fan art is by her and is used with permission.

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. They belong to Nintendo.

Space

"Good morning, Lissa. Would you be a dear and tell me where your darling brother is?"

Lissa didn't need to look up from her breakfast to recognize the feminine voice that hung on to every other word it spoke.

"Good morning, Camilla," Lissa said, still focused on devouring the fruit platter on the small table in front of her. "I'll tell you, but first, can we have a little talk?"

The violet-haired woman eagerly complied. She entered the tent, pulled up a seat across from the young blonde, and leaned in. "Oh, is this another one of your pranks? You're so clever! I love seeing what you come up with next." She plucked a grape off its cluster and consumed it.

Lissa finally looked up. "Actually, it's not. But thanks for the compliment." She pulled the platter closer to herself, but upon Camilla's disappointed expression she relented and transferred a generous helping of fruit onto the empty bread plate beside her. She then passed the plate to Camilla, who lit back up immediately.

"Anything for my beloved Chrom's adorable little sister!"

"Great, then you won't mind what I'm about to ask you." Lissa exhaled, then continued: "Please give Chrom some space."

Camilla instantly lost interest in her food. "Space? Whatever do you mean?"

"A little time to himself. Well, almost to himself-"

Camilla rose to her feet and towered over Lissa, desperately searching the girl's face for information. "Does he really want space? Is he truly hiding from me this very moment?"

Lissa realized what she had gotten herself into. "No, wait! This isn't Chrom's request. This is mine."

Camilla relaxed only slightly. "Isn't that a bit- overbearing?"

Now Lissa was standing. "Isn't that like the pot calling the kettle black?"

"Maybe," Camilla said, sounding pleased with herself.

Lissa shook her head. "Please, let me finish. I'm asking you to give Chrom a little space-" she glanced around nervously "-for Fredrick's sake." She collapsed back into her chair. She didn't expect this conversation to go smoothly, but it was more exhausting than she had anticipated.

"Ohhhh, I understand completely now." Camilla, too, settled back in her chair. She crossed her legs and smiled. "I'm Fredrick's competition for the rank of Chrom's most doting retainer."

"Camilla, you're Chrom's wife!"

"Same difference." She winked.

"Fredrick has been good about giving you two space since you got married, and about protecting you both from afar, but you're not giving him any time to really do his job for Chrom. I can tell he misses it. And-" she looked around again before continuing, "-he's starting to dote on me too much."

Camilla laughed. "That's a bad thing?"

"Yes. No! I mean, I like Fredrick, but I like my space too. Either way, I'm not Chrom, but he's starting to treat me like him! I'm surprised he hasn't tried putting up posters of me around camp to boost morale!"

"Why, Lissa, Fredrick is a gentleman! He would never-"

"Never what?" Lissa looked at Camilla innocently.

Camilla thought for a moment. "I'm guessing you didn't see those posters of your brother."

"No, Chrom wouldn't let me out of my tent until Fredrick burned every last one of them. I still don't know why he was so embarrassed, but I guess I would be embarrassed too to have my face plastered everywhere I turned!"

"It wasn't just his face," Camilla recalled dreamily.

"Hm?"

"Oh, it's nothing, dear Lissa. Now, I do appreciate you talking to me about this. It really makes me feel like you've accepted me as part of the family!"

Lissa looked slightly hurt. "Of course, I have, Camilla. I'm sorry if my pranks made you think I hadn't."

"Not at all! I adore your pranks! You prank, I tease; together we give Chrom an exciting life." She winked at the girl again.

Lissa relaxed. "Yes. I prank, you tease, and Fredrick dotes. So please-" she finished with a smile, "-let Fredrick do his part for Chrom. At least, once in a while."

Camilla let out a sigh, but her eyes sparkled. "I suppose I can spare him an hour or two. When I'm feeling generous."

"Thanks, Camilla," Lissa said sincerely. Finally, this difficult conversation was behind them. "Do you want more fruit?" She offered her a pear.

"Later," Camilla answered, and she rose from her seat. "I said I'd give Fredrick time with Chrom when I'm feeling generous," she clarified. "And unfortunately for dear Freddie, that isn't now. I'd still like to know where I can find your beloved brother."

"Fair enough," Lissa relented. "He's-"

"Camilla, what are you telling Lissa?" Chrom hurried into the tent, face flushed, shirtless and with a towel around his neck. He practically tripped over the rug Fredrick had neatly laid out at the crack of dawn.

"I wasn't telling her anything, Chrom. It was a two-way discussion. A conversation between women. There's no need to be embarrassed."

Chrom wanted to believe her, but the wink she gave him at the end of her answer was disconcerting. "Cammy…" He said in a warning tone, but his wife only shrugged. He then turned to his sister. "Lissa, what prank are you planning with Camilla?"

"Can't two sisters-in-law share breakfast without there being a conspiracy theory?" Lissa asked sweetly.

"I don't see why not," Fredrick said, entering the tent with a tall stack of towels. He held one out to Chrom. "A clean towel, milord."

"But Fredrick, I hardly used this one." Chrom hurried to wipe the sweat off his face with the towel around his neck before Fredrick attempted to deprive him of it in favor of one that was five minutes newer.

Camilla observed Chrom and Fredrick playing tug-of-towel, then leaned across the table to whisper to Lissa. "I hate to admit it, but you're right; Chrom does look like he could use some space – from all of us."

She grinned, Lissa laughed, Fredrick won the battle, and Chrom looked all the more flustered.

"Wait- I- What's going on?"

Camilla pulled Chrom into her lap, and Fredrick immediately blocked Lissa's view with the stack of remaining towels, despite her protests.

"Oh Chrom, isn't it obvious?" Camilla asked. "We love you!"

She squeezed him tightly, Lissa muttered in agreement, and Fredrick remained stoic but color crept into his cheeks.

Chrom tried to relax, but he felt as uncomfortable as ever. "Thanks, but if this is how you all express your love, gods forbid I ever do something to make you hate me." He managed to squirm out of Camilla's lap and find his footing once more. He exhaled, clarity returning to him. "And… I love you too." He smiled and even rested a hand on Camilla's shoulder, which she eagerly took in hers.

Everyone else was smiling, too.

"But you know," Chrom added, "You could always just tell me."

"Never, milord."

"Nah, that's way too sappy, big brother."

"Now where's the fun in that, darling?"

"Oh, gods help me."

FIN