Duo made a habit of People-watching a long time ago.
It was a good habit. It had kept him in and out of trouble quiet often, and more than once he had managed to find good marks or other various little things. Sometimes he was a therapist for the Sweepers- sort of. Other times, he did it because he was merely bored.
People-watching was one of his numerous talents.
It could also get rather boring; like now, as he sat across from Trowa on the couch, watching the fringed brunette turn the page of his book. That book made Duo suspcious. Trowa had been reading it for at least three weeks on and off, and still, he wasn't but half-done with it. Trowa could sit for five hours on one page without moving a muscle.
Duo had timed him once.
He was convinced the book was evil.
Unlike his other People-watching subjects, Trowa didn't scream about the injustice of Duo invading his private time, did not threaten to shoot him, and did not lock the door to the music room when it was his day. He simply went about his normal routine: sit in the empty library full of wonderful and glorious books and read the one he had brought in with him.
It would have been okay if it were some other book. Duo didn't read a lot, but he was sure that if Trowa were secretly toating around a book full of Playboy Bunnies or even the Karma Sutra, it would have made more sense. It would have. But nooooo! Trowa read a dictionary, of all things. According to the spine, it had been printed and in circulation back in 2003, before the AC calender had begun. It was almost an inch and a half thick.
Duo's leg twitched.
Four weeks later, Trowa closed the cover for the last time, finally through the book in it's entireity. Duo stretched a bit, yawning as his back bowed in a manner a cat might. Now, Trowa would likely get up and do something! Anything! Really, Duo didn't care much what he did, as long as he didn't have to sit through any more of Trowa reading. "Thank God that's over."
Quatre chose that time to step into the library.
It was no small secret that Quatre and Trowa were good friends and even better comrads. Duo loved them both in no small way, but the box Quatre carried was up to no good. A trade commenced: Trowa's dictionary for Quatre's box.
Quatre and the Book had a conspiracy.
Trowa opened the cover.
Duo peered over his shoulder, and literally cried.
Webster's Dictionary, Circe 1965.