A/n: I have discovered Whitney (Madame Masque), and she is amazing. She's such a lunatic, it's awesome. Seriously.

Yes, Tony is speaking. She dissolves him into a bumbling ninny sometimes okay? I think its cute.

--

Rhyme or Reason

--

Speak to me in riddles.

I don't want the truth. You should know that. You should know me. I am a man with little patience for the world when the world isn't turning in the precise direction I would like it to. You know that, don't you?

Perhaps I am spoiled; perhaps I'm merely being selfish. Maybe it's neither. Maybe I'm just trying to spare us all a little bit of pain.

Lie to me please.

Tell me that everything will be okay and that tomorrow will be just like every day. Reaffirm my belief in just that. Please? Do it for me.

Talk in circles, talk for hours. Just give me time to hear your voice.

I need that memory at least. Give me that, I'll hold it close to me. I promise. I won't forget. I won't forget.

Just please please don't say it. Speak in circles, speak in riddles, speak in rhymes for all I care! I just need you to pretend. Just for a little while. Can you do that for me?

I didn't think so.

You are not that person; the woman who hides behind falsehoods and pitying glances. You wouldn't be the woman I- …you wouldn't be you if you let yourself tell me these things. Not once have you ever lied to me. You don't use fanciful words either, to dance around the possibilities of truth and not. You don't. You can't. But I need you to, and for just this once I wish you could.

Sometimes I find myself hating you. God how I hate you sometimes.

You hold a convincing and horrendously accurate mirror before me; exposing every flaw and imperfection; turning it all into fact. It's amazing how one such as yourself is capable of reflecting the devil's stare back at him.

You are the advocate after all.

You are by no means exceptionally kind or perfect. You are scarred and scared and angry.

And I love you so so much. And I hate you.

But-

Damnit.

Lie to me and tell me that you-

You won't.

I know.

Well…we'll always have Paris.