Episode 0.8 噛み合わない歯車 / Fruitless effort (English ver.)

Summary : English version of "噛み合わない歯車 / Fruitless effort". GSR. Sequel to "謝罪 - An apology". / Grissom asked Sara to out but she was half-listening.

Time set after S5#14(Unbearable).

AN :Second challenge of translating my story into English. I chose this because its shortness, again. But it is a bit longer than the former. There are some mention of previous story "Suspension". I haven't translate it yet, sorry. Please wait until I translate it. It'll take sometime since it's very long (for me). So wait with patience, please.

Thank you for those encouraging comments on the first challenge("謝罪 - An apology English ver")!
I really appreciate all of the comments and got the motivation to keep it going.
Please read and review what you think. And don't hesitate to correct my mistakes! (I don't have any beta yet...)

After the field investigation, Grissom and Sara were about to return to the lab riding the same car. It was a little cold day. Sara was warming her fingers for a while with the air conditioner inside the car while Grissom was driving. Her lips had turned blue and were trembling a little, but when he glanced her at the signal wait, the redness was back.

"It was a bit cold day, huh?" He said breaking the silence.

"Better than the rain."

The short and sarcastic way of saying that showing her tiredness and a bit of a bad mood.

"Right."

He gave a glance and smiled. Recently he got to know her mood. Well, sometimes, he thought. He was amusing his new skill secretly.

"Are you alright?" Grissom asked turning his eyes back to the road.

"Why?"

"You were... um... up in the daytime then."

"Ah," Sara rubbed her hands and said. "The first day was hard, but this way of living is longer and it will be fine."

"...Okay."

He shrugged and the silence dropped again.

It has been around 10 days since Sara has been off from a week's suspension. Soon after that, she was quite unfriendly and over-politely for a few days. But recently she was more friendly and casual for him. And he was relieved very, very much.

"It's congested."

He said as tapping the wheel with his finger, but in fact, he wasn't irritating. Because it would take more slower pace, he could be with her more long time.

"There was a construction. I saw it early."

Sara respond calmly. And there was silence again.

Their conversation wouldn't go well. Grissom tapped the wheel again, and this time, he was actually irritating. Several minutes passed by silence before Sara took out a file from her bag. She began to read the paper eagerly. Grissom glanced at her profile several times. She was reading the paper quite earnestly. He wondered what kind of document it was.

The signal turned blue, and the car went a little and stopped again.

Sara's mouth sometimes twitched slightly while reading the paper. He quietly observed her from out of the corner of his eye over and over with paying attention so as not to be noticed by her.

Her forehead. Round nose tip. Thin jaw. Her hair, which had been tied up for the field work, is now being lowered. That's why he could not see her nape of neck. Oh, he do love to watch her neck. Because of the coldness, her nose and cheeks were still a little red. Or was it because the air in the car warmed up?

While slowly advancing the car, Grissom stole glance at her profile many times . A certain feeling spreading in his chest was a improper as her boss, and that ached his heart.

'You should say it now.' Suddenly, he heard a voice. Or he thought. 'Say it now.' His inner voice said louder.

Tapping the wheel lightly with his fingers, Grissom repeatedly tilted his head, opened his mouth and shut.

Suddenly the horn rang.

Grissom came to himself and realized that the distance to the preceding car was growing and found that the car behind them made a horn. He hurriedly shifted the lever and closed the distance between the cars. Sara also surprised the sound and raised her eyes, but she did not particularly care and dropped her eyes soon again to the paper she was holding.

Grissom confirmed the surroundings. The entrance of a small parking lot is just ahead. It looks like a coffee shop. Glanced Sara's profile again, then he slowly turn the wheel to the parking lot. He stopped the car in the lot, but kept the engine on.

'Say it.' The voice was echoing in his head. He sighed. 'Should I?'

'Of course.' - 'But...' He debated with himself. Or wanted to. 'Say it, NOW.' The voice won.

'Okay.' He licked his lips. 'I can do it.' - 'Yeah, you can do it!

'I can do this.' Repeated in his mind, took a deep breath, then he turned and looked straight at her.

"Sara, " He called her with a nervous voice.

"Yeah?" Sara replied but didn't look up from the paper.

'Go, go, Gilbert!' He gathered up all courage.

"Wouldyouliketogooutwithme?" He said very quickly.

'I did it!' - 'Yeah, well done, Gilbert!'

Grissom gripped tightly the wheel. He felt sweat blowing out. 'Please say yes.' He prayed. 'Please say it wasn't too late.'

"OKay."

Sara answered very lightly, never lifted her eyes from the damn paper.

Grissom drew his breath. He got a little uneasy about the lightness of her reply. She kept looking at that paper. "To where?" She asked with a yawn.

Grissom opened his mouth and shut then opened. Then shut. Like a goldfish.

'I fear that she does not understand.'

As Grissom remained silent, Sara finally raised her face and saw him. She tilted her head, and looked around outside of the window. She recognized the building sign.

"Coffee?"

'OH, NO.' Grissom wanted to hit his head on the steering wheel. She obviously didn't hear everything he said. 'Bring back the courage I gathered!' He wanted to shout to someone but didn't. Instead, he shut his eyes and breathed slowly.

'You can say it again!' - 'Oh, no, I can't. I don't have courage any more. Well, at least now.' He sighed.

"Um...Yeah, I-I...You want some?" Luckily or unluckily, the parking lot where he entered was a coffee shop. It made worse the situation, he thought. And wanted to cry.

"Sure." After checking the signboard again, Sara replied lightly and then got off the car quickly. Sighing deeply, shaking his head, Grissom cut the engine and followed her.

When he entered the shop, a sweet smell stimulated the nasal cavity. He'd thought the shop was only a coffee shop, but it was a donuts shop. Sara picked a donut quickly without waiting for him and ordered a cup of coffee. He was about to say "My treat.", but stopped and let her pay for herself. He didn't know why, just felt it wasn't welcomed.

'Some time,' He thought. 'Maybe, next time. I would pay for her. I should. And it won't just a cup of coffee.'

"Let's eat here." Grissom called Sara, who was about to return to the car. When he showed vacant seats, she gently nodded and headed for the seat.

They chit chatted while eating their donuts. During the conversation, Grissom remembered that she had not eaten the donut he had brought for her before. That made him think she would dislike donuts, but she was eating now and she did not seem to be compelled. He observed the donut she was eating. Perhaps, the kind he chose might have been bad.

"Sofia doesn't go to the scene anymore?" Sara asked after sipped her coffee.

"Um...Yes. A while. She wanted it. Something up to her."

Grissom replied nonchalantly. Looking down on her coffee, Sara said "Hmm" in small voice. Soon, she switched to another topic. Until they finished donuts and coffee, the two had idle talk this and that but not particularly theme. He enjoyed it and hoped she did too. Sometimes, he made her laugh, and she made him too. Oh, it was nice. Hearing her laughter was very good. It warmed his heart. He was secretly proud that he changed her mood a little better.

He drank the coffee very slowly so that he could spend longer with her. She finished her coffee first and began to glance her wrist watch. He noticed it and since the coffee got very cold, he then drank up reluctantly. Well, very reluctantly but finally swallowed all of it. The bitterness lingered on his tongue.

Then, they backed to the car, and headed to the lab.

It was shocking for him that she was listening inattentively although he gathered up courage to finally asked for her. But he felt good at the same time. It was felt like a date for him though they only had a cup of coffee. Just drinking coffee together made him happy. Oh, he had great time. What happens if they have dinner?

'Next time.' He thought. 'I would ask her again. Just not for a cup of coffee. For DINNER. I will.'

He promised secretly. He prayed that it was not too late.

End.

AN2 : It was very hard due to the "Humor".
Let me know how do you think. Do you feel it's funny? Or isn't it make any sense?
Thanks again for having time to read my story!