A.N: Again with the NikoSashaWeek. The theme was role change, so here we have an Eldian scout! Nikolo and Marleyan soldier! Sasha.

Day 2: Role Change

"Does it have to be me?" Nikolo asked as Jean handed him a tray. Rolling his eyes, the man said: "Yes, it has to be you."

"Why?"

"Because I'm busy, Armin's busy, Eren's an ass, Mikasa's trying to babysit him and Connie, well…"

"Is a moron who'd just get tricked by the prisoner?" Nikolo finished for Jean when he didn't continue. The guy shrugged with a lopsided smile, saying: "You said it, not me. Try to make sure he doesn't find out."

Nikolo sighed; Jean was such an ass. Well, seems like he had no choice. He couldn't ask his superiors to do this, and knowing Floch he might actually try to hurt the prisoner, so he was out too. They were supposed to avoid that after all.

"Fine" he gave in, leaving for the woman's solitary cell. For comfort's sake they kept most of the prisoners together, but that wasn't an option with this woman. They had had no option but to isolate her after she managed to convince majority of the other Marleyan soldiers to a rebellion and almost caused a massive prison break. The MPs had wanted her head, but the Survey Corps had saved her as Yelena convinced them that she'd be useful in the end if they just got her trust.

"I just hope she doesn't bite anyone to death" Nikolo snorted, remembering how the prisoner had bitten Jean when they'd caught her. He should probably make sure his hands didn't linger near the bars of the cell too long.

"I brought you some food" he said as he entered the underground chamber where the woman was locked up in. She glares at him before looking away with a move that is almost theatric, like she wants to make sure Nikolo sees exactly how much she hates him. Brat "I'm not hungry."

That would've been a lot more convincing if her stomach hadn't chosen that very moment to start growling.

The woman blushes. Nikolo can see her glancing at him, or perhaps just the tray, before quickly looking away again. He raises an eyebrow, wondering if she'll still try to deny it.

"I'm not eating something made by filthy devils" she says "No matter how hungry I might be!"

"Then it's a good thing I'm not filthy; I bath regularly" Nikolo attempts to joke. In all honesty he just wants to leave and take the tray with him, but he feels slightly sorry for her. It's not like he thought she was a bad person; she'd ended up here simply for trying to do her job and-

To his surprise, he hears a chuckle. The joke had gotten through.

"Not sure if the same can be said about all of you" she says, and Nikolo would be offended if he didn't know how true it was. Everyone in Levi squad took great care of their hygiene, the captain made sure of that, but there were plenty of others who had poor hygiene, to put it nicely.

Raising an eyebrow, he made a point of sniffing the air before saying: "Or about you for that matter."

The reaction is immediate as her head whips to his direction. Face red, she snaps: "I'd bath if I had the chance to!"

"You easily would have" Nikolo says "If you just cooperated."

The woman didn't say anything, just narrowed her eyes before turning away from him. Nikolo sighed, slipping the tray in to the cell from the small hatch at the floor level "Just eat."

XXXXX

After she was sure the soldier was gone, Sasha eyed the tray. The food looked good, but what if it was poisoned? That and it was made by these devils…

"Well, beggars can't be choosers" she thought as she reached out for the tray. She didn't want to eat something the Eldians had made, but she was no use to anyone if she starved to death. That also meant she had to take the risk that the food might be poisoned "But if they wanted to get rid of me, they'd just kill me, right? No point in trying to poison me."

And even if they did want to do that, they could just force some down her throat without hiding it in to the food. Yeah, it was probably safe.

Cautiously, she took the first bite, her eyes widening as she tasted just how good it was. Whoever had made this had to be someone different than the one who usually-

"Hm?" the soldier's words rang in her head "Was he the one to make this? If so then it's such a waste that he's a soldier!"

Sasha quickly shook her head. No, this was no good. She mustn't compliment a dirty Eldian, even if it was just in her mind. But… "It's just so good!"

XXXXX

Nikolo had ended up with the short straw again and was taking food for the female soldier, wondering if she'd actually eaten her previous meal. She'd seemed really hungry, but with her attitude towards Eldians, he couldn't be sure. And yet, when he got there, he saw the empty tray.

He could've commented on it, part of him even wanted to, but in the end, he chose to leave her alone. It wasn't right to go after someone who was already down. So, he settled on a simple greeting before slipping the tray in from the hatch, turning to leave before either could annoy the other. However, he might have been too slow as he heard her say: "Hey"

"Yeah?" Nikolo said, turning back to her. It's not like they wanted to keep people locked up like this, so if she was going to reach out, he was going to listen "Was it… was it you who made the food yesterday?"

"…Yes" Nikolo replied, wondering why she'd ask. Actually, hadn't he told her that he did?

He looked at her. She seemed to want to say something more, but hesitated. Would she talk if he edged her on, or would she just clam up? "It's probably better if I shut up for now."

"Why?" her question caught him off guard. Blinking, he repeated: "Why what?"

"Why were you cooking?" she asks as she pulls the tray closer to herself "Aren't you a soldier?"

"I am" Nikolo said, shrugging "But the cook wasn't feeling well yesterday, and since I cook as a hobby anyway, I volunteered to take his place."

She was watching him as he spoke, but once he finished, she turned her attention to the food. Taking a spoonful of the soup, she brought it to her mouth. After swallowing, she complained with a frown: "It's plain."

"Spoiled brat" was Nikolo's first thought on that. Well, he supposed that someone who wasn't used to food regulations like almost everyone inside the walls were would be pickier of what they ate "The one you made was way better."

Nikolo blushed at the unexpected, completely out of nowhere -compliment.

"I ah… thanks" he stuttered, hoping that she wouldn't take a notice of his sudden embarrassment. If she did, she didn't comment on it; she simply kept eating. After a while, she spoke again: "Why did you become a soldier? I'm sure you could've made a living as a cook!"

Nikolo blushed again. It's not like this was the first time he'd been told this, in fact, many in the 104th training corps had said the same, but somehow this was different… perhaps because it was coming from an enemy who had no real reason to compliment him it felt more genuine?

Looking at the woman again, Nikolo realized that she'd stopped eating for the time being and was now looking at him, waiting for an answer.

"It's… complicated" he said "And personal."

"Hmm…" Sasha hummed, thinking it over for a second "Family reasons?"

Nikolo's eyes widened, which made Sasha grin before she said: "Bull's eye, huh?"

Nikolo blushed, again, though this time it was from a different type of embarrassment. Just what was with this woman, constantly getting him to blush!?

Sasha laughed, but her smile soon faded to a sad one as she averted her eyes.

"Me too…"

That caught Nikolo off guard. Not the fact that she joined military for family reasons, but the fact that she would share something so personal with him. A small part of him wanted to know more, not that he knew why, but since she hadn't asked more from him, he didn't want to pry, either.

"Just…" he wanted to change the topic "Eat that before it gets cold, okay?"

"Yeah" Sasha said, but before continuing she looked at Nikolo again: "…Think the cook will be feeling unwell again any time soon?"

"He might" Nikolo answered, pretty sure he knew why she was asking. Wanting to check, he said: "But even if he won't, I can still cook for you if you want."

"You would do that!?" Sasha asked, excited as she leaned forward, closer to the bars. However, a thought soon occurred to her and she frowned "What's the catch?"

"There is no catch" Nikolo said, but he could tell she was not buying it "I'm just trying to be kind; we're not bad people you know."

She still wasn't convinced, he could tell. A sudden urge to mess with her came to him and, wanting to see if he could make her blush in return, he said with a smirk: "And you have a cute smile; maybe I'll get to see that again if I cook for you?"

"Success" he thought as she blushed, leaning away from the bars now with a mortified look on her face "Are you trying to flirt with me!?"

Now it was, once more, Nikolo's turn to blush.

"No!" he quickly denied "I'm not!"

"Are too!" Sasha argued, scooting away from the bars "Like you wouldn't want a piece of this!" she gestures to her body. Nikolo's eyebrow twitches on his red face as he says: "Isn't it you who's trying to flirt with me?"

"I'm just stating the facts" Sasha says, crossing her arms "Or what, do you not swing this way?"

"If by "this way" you mean stinky, uncooperative war prisoners then no, I don't" Nikolo hissed back, pleased to see her face go red again. Angrily, Sasha stood up and came right over to the bars, practically screaming at him: "I'm only stinky because some assholes insist on keeping me locked up in a cage like some animal!"

Childishly thinking that he didn't want to lose, Nikolo takes a few long steps to get right in front of the cell with the only thing between their faces being the bars. Once there, he snaps: "Well maybe you wouldn't be treated like an animal if you stopped acting like one!"

They glared at each other, their faces almost touching the bars. It was Sasha who broke the eye contact first, unable to hold in a chuckle. After that, she started laughing hysterically.

Nikolo stared, dumbfounded, before the ridiculousness of the situation sank in for him too and he laughed as well. They were trained soldiers in the middle of a fateful war, yet here they were, fighting like a pair of children. She sure pulled out the ridiculous side of him, way more so than even Connie did.

"What the hell's going on in here!?" Nikolo froze at Jean's voice. Sasha was still laughing, but was now trying to stop as she too heard the rapid, loud steps coming towards her cell. As Jean stepped in to the room, both had themselves under control and Nikolo had packed away from the cell.

"Nothing" he said "Just… getting to know each other?"

It sounded like a question; he knew it did. Jean was eyeing him up and down, checking if he was really okay. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, he turned his attention to the prisoner, who also seemed fine, if not a little redder in the face than he would've expected.

"Whatever. Now c'mon, the captain's calling for us" Jean said "Hopefully he won't make us mop up the whole building."

Sasha snorted from her cell, and Nikolo threatened to hand her the mop if it happened. Sasha just stuck her tongue out at him as a reply, making Nikolo roll his eyes. Jean was watching them, eyes going back and forth between the two, but he said nothing, leaving as well when Nikolo walked away without saying a word.

XXXXX

After their footsteps faded, Sasha sat back down to eat. She wouldn't help these devils, these people, she wouldn't betray her country, but she had to admit that, perhaps, not all of them were the monsters she thought they were.

"Or maybe monsters just mature slowly?" she thought with a grin, seriously considering asking that to the guy's face. She was probably going to be stuck in the cell for quite a while, so she might just as well get some humor out of it while she was there.

XXXXX

"You two seemed to get along surprisingly well" Jean commented to Nikolo once Levi let them go.

"Him and who?" Connie asked.

"The prisoner"

"You mean Miss Barks Hard and Bites Even Harder?"

"Yeah, that one" Jean confirmed, unconsciously rubbing his hand that the woman had bitten "Just how did you manage that?"

"I got her food" Nikolo says with a shrug "She likes my cooking."

Connie laughs.

"Well what'd ya know, looks like the route to a woman's heart goes through her stomach!"

"Pretty sure it's only the case with that one" Nikolo says with a chuckle. No matter if that was true or not, he was going to make sure that she had enough to eat, including his cooking. Perhaps, with time, he would get her to warm up to them.

For some reason, he truly hoped that.

A.N: Honestly, this my favorite from the NikoSashaWeek and I hope I'll be able to write a longer story like this with the roles swapped sometime.