It doesn't have to be schmoopy for them to be equal partners; quite the opposite, it requires that they deal with their issues and start to see each other as individuals.

The thing is, there is no automatic "this one is dominant" in their relationship. Who's going to have the power? They have to struggle over it, because it's not obvious. And that leads to a lot more complexity and character growth than a relationship with rigid, pre-defined power roles.