"You are far too lovely."
The words were muttered with the slightest hint of volume but Selina was still able to pick them up with her keen hearing.
"What was that, Ed?" She asked, her attempt at feigning ignorance betrayed by the small smirk which followed it.
Lounging across her couch, she placed her hand gently on the edge of the table as she waited for him to respond. If he tried to deny it she would not let him hear the end of it.
Glancing up from the chessboard which sat between them, Edward momentarily looked like a deer in highlights, shocked at being caught, but he quickly smoothed his features out, "I believe I said 'you are far too lovely'." He answered as he shifted one of his pawns forward a space.
"I'm loving the compliment," she admitted, pushing forward a pawn of her own to face his, "but what's the cause?"
His youthful arrogance and ego had mellowed out slightly with age and as their relationship developed she watched as time allowed him to pay her more genuine compliments rather than shallow flattery. It was still an odd comment though.
"Since when has a man needed a reason to offer his partner a compliment?" His expression was wounded but she could sense his attempt to divert the conversation.
No diversions.
"If you were a regular man and I was a regular woman I wouldn't bother to ask, but here we are. What are you thinking?" She understood him in many ways but the workings of his mind would always remain individual to him.
"I was thinking about chess," he confessed, taking one her bishops with his knight, "and how we really should play more often."
Sensing there was more, Selina halted her next move in favour of tapping one of her long nails along the side of her bishop. The soft clinking lasted for a few seconds before Edward finally made eye contact with her.
Sighing, he lifted one of his pieces from the board and leaned forward in his seat, which sat on the other side of the low coffee table which housed the board, "In chess, the queen is the most powerful player on the board."
"I know the rules of chess, Eddie." Selina rolled her eyes before settling her gaze on the stack of paper which sat atop one of the many units within the room. Edward had a habit of leaving a trail of mess when he was working an investigation case.
The lowering of his brow was the only hint to his annoyance, "Don't interrupt, dear, if you want an answer to your question." He didn't snap at her but she could hear it in his tone.
Holding out a hand in apology, Selina sat upright and indicated for him to move beside her. He seemed to have an actual point to make and she was curious what thoughts he was entertaining that led to his observation.
It was vain but she was curious.
Rising from his position gracefully and moving to her side with speed, Edward sat on the end seat and allowed Selina to position herself around him as she wished. In response to his opening, she settled herself back down on their couch, leaning against the opposite side so that she could place her feet delicately on Edwards' lap.
"The queen," Edward continued as though he had not been interrupted, "is the most powerful piece on the board. Her movements are almost entirely free and her versatility is unmatched by any other piece. With the right amount of skill, a queen could win a game with no assistance from the others." Pausing his speech to brush a small piece of fluff from her foot, he placed his hand across her ankle, "People always say life is a game of chess and, if it is, you would be a queen, Selina."
A little surprised by the unexpected praise and appreciation of her skills, Selina leaned forward and removed the hand from her ankle so that she could grasp it within her own palm. His hands were slightly cold as a result of their chilled living room and she held it until she felt her warmth seep into him.
"A game of chess is lost if the queen fails to protect her king," she pointed out, following his comparison, "would you be the king in that story, Ed?"
Tilting his head towards her, he used his free hand to trace faint shapes of question marks on her exposed calves, "I share many similarities with the king." He winked. "To himself, the king is the most important piece on the board but he is also somewhat limited by his own abilities."
Without pausing he continued, "Also, a king who loses his queen is forced to either accept it or manipulate every piece on the board in order to revive her. I would choose the latter as there's little fun in having a counting house full of money without someone with whom I can enjoy some bread and honey."
Selina smirked at the childish reference. She had loved that rhyme as a child and, despite not recalling mentioning it to him, she was filled with a warmth that he had obviously recalled it.
"A queen wants to protect her king so, the real question here which defines my place is, do you want to protect me?"
Finishing his speech, he lifted his hand from her legs to begin running it through his reddish hair as he allowed her time to plot out an answer.
Pursing her lips, Selina appeared deep in thought. Years of shared memories, of betrayals and assistance, of hate and eventual love, flashed through her mind but there was only once real answer she could give.
The truth.
"Yes."
"Then that makes me king," he answered simply.
"How did a conversation which started with you giving me a compliment result in you declaring yourself a king?" Selina asked, her voice teasing.
His laugh was contagious and caused her to smile despite herself, "I am unsure but I am not complaining."