Phil dozed on the couch, Buffy playing quietly.

Dan opened the door and grinned at the sight of his boyfriend, setting his gym bag on the ground. He knelt down and took a shoulder in his hand. "Phil." He said. "Phil, wake up."

Yawning and looking very much like the lions he adored, Phil slowly blinked awake. "Hi." He said, sleepily, pulling Dan towards him and onto the couch. "How was the gym."

Dan pecked his forehead. "Exhausting and stupid." He said. "But I'm getting better."

He laughed softly, tucking his head under the taller's chin. "You're the one who wanted to get fit." He said.

"I thought I was already pretty fit." He pouted.

"Wrong fit." Phil mumbled.

"I'm just looking forward to the day I'll be able to lift you." Dan said teasingly, tracing llamas into Phil's back.

"Good luck with that." He yawned. If he had bothered to look up, he would have noticed the impish grin his partner wore.

Dan worked extra hard over the next few months, especially on his arms. His trainer was amazed by his progress from a couch potato who threw up if he had to walk more than a few steps to...well, a couch potato who was able to lift fifteen pounds less than his POWs body weight.

He decided to quit while he was ahead. Besides, Phil really didn't care for hench guys.

His trainer was flabbergasted Dan would just quit after coming so far, but it was a relief to finally say goodbye to what had become his personal hell.

Phil was waiting for him at the apartment, grinning. "Congrats!" He cheered. "You're finished!" He kissed him sweetly and Dan felt his knees go weak. No amount of working out would be able to make him strong enough to resist Phil.

"Yeah." He agreed. "Wanna see what I learned?" He wrapped both his arms around Phil's waist and lifted with his legs.

Phil almost screamed in fear and laughter. "Dan!" He shouted. "Put me down! You're going to hurt yourself."

"Don't worry." Dan murmured, pulling him in for another long kiss. "I won't ever let you fall."

He forced himself to relax, wrapping his long legs around Dan's waist. He locked his feet at the ankles. their noses bumped and Phil grinned. "I'm a lion." He said. "Rawr."

Dan sat himself down on the floor. "Really? By the way you were hanging onto me, I'd say you were some kind of monkey."

"I'm a very rare Dan-climbing lion." Phil told him seriously. "Almost extinct."

"Ah. I see." Dan shifted to his back very carefully. Phil sat on his legs, their hands entwined. Dan raised his knees and watched Phil rise with him. The look of surprise was utterly worth the months he had spent sweating and vomiting.

"How are you doing this?" Phil demanded from his perch.

Dan shrugged as best as he could, staring deep into the odd colored eyes he loved so much. "There really isn't a way to bench press someone without the possibility of seriously injuring them." He said. "So, I decided this was the next best thing."

"Put me down." Phil said. Dan felt a very fast flash of fear.

Did he hurt Phil? Was he annoyed at Dan? Did he-

"I can't kiss you from here."

He grinned in relief and unceremoniously dropped the other man onto him. Phil threaded his fingers through Dan's hobbit hair (it aways got curly after getting wet) and pulled him as close as he could. "I love you." Dan said.

"I love you too." Phil said, peppering soft kisses onto his cheeks and forehead. He wrinkled his nose. "Blech."

"What?" He asked as Phil stood, towering over him. It was a rather nice view, the light from the open window catching and shining over Phil.

"You taste like sweat."

He groaned, relaxing and letting his head bang against the floor. "Maybe because I was just at the gym."

"It's gross." He informed him, stepping over his boyfriend to walk away. "No kisses until you're clean."

Dan laughed. "You can't be serious. Phil? Phil!"