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He should probably have asked beforehand, but Erwin had wanted it to be a surprise.
And damn if he wasn't surprised.
"Erwin?" Levi asked. "What the hell are you doing dragging me out like this so late? You know I want to get to bed after such a busy day, shithead."
"Just come on," he said eagerly, tugging at his sleeve. Erwin could barely hide his own excitement as he pulled him along. "You're gonna love this." How has he not guessed yet? It's Canada Day and he seriously thinks they're not going to set off fireworks? He grinned even wider. He's such a grouch.
"Erwin where are we going?" Levi asked again. "And how far is it?"
Just as they reached the top of the hill, Erwin sat down and forcefully pulled Levi into his lap.
"Ow, what the- hey! That hur-" His scolding was cut short as Erwin leaned back and turned Levi's head to look at the sky. The stars were glowing high above them, white pinpricks on a black canvas, and his breath caught in his throat. "Wow."
"It'll get better soon," Erwin breathed into his ear.
"No, not out on a hill," Levi groaned. "Think of the kids that play here during the day."
"Well too bad for them." He sucked at his neck a little. Hey, if the show wasn't going to start anytime soon, then why not have his own little show going on? He had to stop however when the first crack went off, and Levi jumped out of his arms as though it had been a cannon. Admittedly, it was loud though.
"What the hell was that?" he shouted, his hair practically standing on end as he shivered, a frightful expression on his face. "Come on," he said, grabbing his hand. "Let's get out of here!"
"Woah, woah, calm down Levi." Erwin had to sit him down again as a second bang went off, making him hiss. "It's just a fireworks show." The green light lit up the sky, and he stared at it in wonder, until the next bang went off, making him cower in his hands.
"Jesus it's loud," he whispered. Another bang went off, and a trail of purple sparks cut across the sky.
"What, have you never been to a fireworks show before?" Erwin asked quizzically. "They always put up a great one for the 1st."
Levi shook his head, flinching at the next series of pops and fizzes. "I used to hate the 4th because of all the noise. I never got the guts to look out my window."
"Oh, I forgot you were American for a minute there," he sighed, then froze up. "Wait, so you actually haven't then? It was a rhetorical question," he said, eyes wide in surprise.
"I hate noise," Levi repeated, jumping again at the distant boom.
"Boy, aren't you jumpy." Erwin said. "Would it help if I do this?" he asked, hugging him from behind and covering his ears. He could still hear them, but the fireworks had gone from loud and startling to a medium, enough he could actually enjoy the show.
"Yeah, that's perfect," Levi said, crossing his legs and leaning his head into Erwin's lap. "Thank you, you idiot," he mumbled, though right now he was too awestruck from the sheer beauty to say anything more.
The lights danced across their faces, and Erwin smiled dimly into the darkness, soaking up the moment for all it was worth.