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The first time Dan picks up Phil is technically at the Manchester Piccadilly station, where Phil meets him after far too many days. Dan still smells like plane as he’s just been making his way back from India and he’s exhausted and his body hardly knows what time zone he’s in, but he still gets his arms around Phil in a hug that’s a little too public but they simply can’t help themselves.
Dan hugs tight, so tight, and lifts Phil a few inches off the ground until Phil is giggling and kicking his feet and Dan lets go.
The first time he properly lifts Phil is a few months later while they’re filming a bleeding llama dance party for Phil’s channel. It’s a split-second shot, among the others that filter through so quickly it seems silly how long it took them to film it all.
But before they do film it, Dan suggests lifting Phil. He blushes, says he doubts Dan actually could, he’s a giant. Dan takes him by surprise and lifts him in a single move, just one scoop.
“Dan!” Phil shrieks, padded by laughter. “Oh my god, you’re gonna drop me,” he says, clinging to Dan’s neck in a way Dan’s sure not going to complain about.
“I would never,” Dan insists, even if his arms are already shaking a little. He places Phil back on the ground before he has to be proven wrong.
“Okay,” Phil laughs, a hand on his chest and out of breath like he’s the one that just did something athletic. “Okay, that can go in the video. If you think you can do it again.”
He does it again, and he doesn’t drop Phil, and he’s more than a little proud of himself. It makes him feel the same way he did carrying packed boxes when helping Phil move into his flat— makes him feel strong, and capable. Things he doesn’t always necessarily feel.
Phil never asks outright to be picked up after that. But sometimes he’ll nudge Dan’s arms and make a joke about him being secretly hench. Dan will take the bait, pick Phil up until he fears he’ll drop him, and set him back down again gently. He asks Phil once, “Is this okay? Do you hate this?” because of the usual squeak that comes out of Phil every time.
“Yeah,” Phil tells him, a little blush creeping along his pale skin. “Yeah, I like it.”
“Okay,” Dan smiles. He files that away. Phil likes it. He likes Dan to pick him up.
Both Dan and Phil are rather tall men. Dan thinks it likely that the last time Phil was picked up outside of childhood was the disastrous uni piggyback race that ended in a broken hand. So Dan may not always think he’s very sexy… but he can see Phil finding something sexy about Dan being able to scoop him up and carry him bridal style across the flat.
Until, to his absolute horror, he drops him.
To his credit, it doesn’t happen for years. It happens during the intoxicating buzz Dan feels over the exercise he’s actually managing to do on a regular basis for the first time in his life. One part per his new therapist’s recommendation, one part as part of The Amazing Tour Is Not On Fire prep. He’s not looking to get proper swole, but he does focus on endurance and maybe a fair amount on his back and arms.
They’re getting ready to film this year’s PINOF. It’ll take a while; they’re still pulling questions and snacking on leftovers and no lights or anything is set up. But there’s still the energy in the flat that screams filming day.
Dan steps out to grab a charger, and on his way back to the lounge he meets Phil in the hallway. Without even really thinking about it, he bends and rushes forward, determined to lift Phil off the ground for the hell of it.
The hallway is too narrow for his usual go-to bridal scoop.
He tries a fireman lift instead.
He hears the thump before he realises what’s been hit, because he himself doesn’t feel any pain.
But Phil is reaching for his shoulder and scolding Dan and flailing until Dan drops him properly. Right on that perfect ass of his.
“What the hell?” Phil says, shaking the hand of his hurt arm, making sure it still works.
“I’m sorry,” Dan says, panicked, “I’m sorry!” He kneels down, crawls over Phil and grabs at the arm that saw too much of the wall. They tug Phil’s t-shirt off. There’s already a bruise forming on Phil’s shoulder, and Dan thinks surely it’s way too soon for that to happen. Just… physically? Did he really hurt Phil that badly?
“It’s okay,” Phil says. But he’s pouting.
“I’m really, really sorry,” Dan says again. “Does it hurt?”
“Feels great,” Phil gives a very tight smile.
“Can I help?” Dan tries to swallow the ever-forming panic. He’s swallowing it as fast as it comes, like he’s trying desperately to bale out a rowboat with too big a leak.
Phil leans back, laying down in the hallway. “What,” he finally laughs, and that alone is a tremendous relief for Dan’s alarm bells, “kiss it better?”
Dan doesn’t waste time; he leans forward and plants his lips on the new bruise, carefully, gingerly. “Good?” he asks.
Phil nods. “I’ll be fine. It’s my ass that’s more bruised, I’m sure.”
“Turn over, I’ll kiss that better too,” Dan says, tugging at Phil’s belt loop.
They laugh, and gather themselves, and eventually stand. Phil rotates the shoulder. He barely winces. Seems it really will be fine.
They head into Phil’s room. Dan gets to work on the lights, and Phil grabs the shirt he means to film in since he’s halfway to being changed anyways. Dan manages to steady his nerves in the hour or so before they hit record.
It’s later when Phil reads off, “Try to pick each other up,” that the panic returns.
“What?” he says, grabbing at Phil’s phone. “Who asked for that?”
“They did,” Phil gestures towards the camera, laughing.
“But there’s like actual furniture in here. If I drop you and you bang your head, I’m on trial for murder.”
“And also you’ve lost your companion through life.”
“That too!”
Phil laughs. “It’s okay, Danny. There was a stupid wall in your way last time.” He spreads his arms out wide and swivels on his waist. “See, plenty of room in here.”
Dan sighs. He looks into the camera and says loudly, “Try to pick each other up.” Phil thinks he can, Phil thinks he won’t drop him. Might as well try to prove Phil right.
It helps that the camera keeps him from saying anything other than the bravado he has to project. The repeated “You’re gonna live, Phil, you’re gonna live!” is doing enough to make him actually confident he can pull this off than anything else would. But Phil’s, “Not again!” is what does the most.
He won’t drop Phil, not again, not if Dan can help it.
And he doesn’t.
The rest of filming occurs without injury. They scrub the whiskers off and order takeaway and that night as Phil spreads over the bed Dan catalogues his bruises: the big one on the shoulder, two little ones near Phil’s elbow, and sure enough, one on his ass. Dan apologises thoroughly for them. Phil forgives him readily.