"Insufficient rations" The emotionless voice of the computer doomed her.
Kathryn slapped the panel above her replicator and uttered a few crude curse words, then seemed to think of something and collected herself.
"Computer display replicator rations for...Commander Chakotay." A grin spread over her face as she saw the more than sufficient rations in Chakotay's account. She input her Command code and transferred the need rations to her own account. She'd make it up to him. Surely he wouldn't mind. When the computer signalled that the transfer was successful she tried again.
"Coffee, black." A sigh of relief left her lips as the mug shimmered into existence and she carefully cradled it between her hands as she turned back to her couch and the reports that were waiting for her.
She halted dead in her tracks as her eyes fell on the figure standing in the middle of the room.
"How long have you been standing there?" Her hands gripped the mug as if afraid he'd take it away from her.
"Longer than you'd like." She wanted to wipe the smirk off his face, but then she'd have to let go of her coffee.
"You could have just asked," Chakotay pointed out, then held out the mug he had brought, "or waited."
"You were late." It was a lame excuse, considering that he been overdue no more than five minutes and she could have asked the computer for his location - or contacted him.
"Well, you don't need to steal tomorrow's rations, I'll gladly buy you your coffee." When she didn't reply with a quip but walked past him to sit down, obviously avoiding looking at him, he knew he'd hit a gold. "Kathryn?" His voice held a warning current under the slight teasing.
"Let's just say you needn't worry for the rest of the week." Still not meeting his eyes.
"You know that's technically stealing, right?"
"Some people call this wisdom," she shrugged, finally looking up with an expression of feigned innocence. She leaned forward and slid the mug he had set down next to hers. The image of two full mugs of coffee in front of her almost made him laugh out loud. "It's simply more efficient this way," she added with a satisfied smirk sure that her logic was foolproof.
"It would be," he conceded, "if you wouldn't run out of a whole week's worth of rations by tomorrow afternoon."
He leaned forward and for a second Kathryn regretted having set her mug down thinking he was going to take the coffee back. Instead, he snatched one of the Padds and leaned back, pretending to be engrossed in B'Elanna's most recent Engineering report. From the corner of his eyes, he observed Kathryn, though. He was right and she knew it and the telltale chew of her lower lip and the hand fiddling with her combadge told him she was already formulating a plan.
Her gaze jumped between both cups of coffee but Chakotay was sure her thoughts were elsewhere - not far, but elsewhere. Suddenly she stopped and spoke, "Computer, locate Tom Paris."
"Tom Paris is in Holodeck One."
Obviously satisfied with that reply, Kathryn lifted one of the mugs, emptied it in one go and stood up.
"I feel like playing pool," she announced already halfway out of her quarters. "Are you coming?"
"Wouldn't miss it." Chakotay sincerely hoped Tom had enough rations left to service any bouts of coffee intemperance that may strike their Captain until they reached the next M-class planet.