unicorn-and-bluebells:

admiral-derbyblossom:

icykalisartblog:

admiral-derbyblossom:

Ok so for the sake of science to PROVE how gay Garak and Bashir were:

Let’s do a fun experiment!

Grab a friend and get as physically close as these two are right here:

Originally posted by stopthatbluecat

Things that you will experience at this very intimate distance:

1. I hope you brushed your teeth because you will feel the other persons breath on your face.

2. If you are uncomfortable with the distance you will back away automatically, notice how in this scene Bashir does not retreat a single inch.

3. All you will be able to see in your field of vision is the other persons face, specifically their eyes. Intense unbreakable eye contact is unavoidable at that distance.

4. You will likely feel the actual body heat from the other person at that distance.

5. Unless you are into that person you will become uncomfortable after about 3 seconds of holding this position.

6. If one of you has COVID you both have it now.

So just a quick reminder: two friends who are platonic and have no feelings for one another DO NOT do this. This is very intimate and the camera does not do justice to how truely close those two are in that shot.

Have you ever had a conversation with somebody at this distance? With a friend? Could you hold this distance with a lover without instinctively kissing???

I’m going to die bitter about this oh my god…

Seconding these points and also all of the ones in the notes (also I hope that story about Andy Robinson literally overstepping is true because that’s amazing). 

I wanted to add to this and others’ analyses by saying yes, TV aspect ratio was a big reason you can find shots of many DS9 characters standing super close together but that it’s also the rest of the body language/micro expressions happening in that shot that makes it so full of romantic tension. I mean, compare what Bashir and Garak are doing in that GIF to all the nothing going on in this explicitly romantic scene from “Shadowplay”:

(Kira and Bareil stand close to each other and trade a few lines of dialogue while being very still, then kiss.)

Exactly I’m seconding this addition!!

I think a comparison where two heterosexual characters are that close and then kiss is important because it’s a reminder that; no, we aren’t over analysing.

It is clear and obvious that Garak and Bashir have the same sexual tension in that shot as Kira and Bareil.

Also it’s one of many shots where Julian and Garak are intimately close:

This shot where Julian thinks Garak is dying, uhhh yeah that’s not the face of a friend holding their pal as they die.

That’s the face of somebody who’s been pining for a crush and is loosing them before they could make a move.

The hand on the shoulder, the pulling Garak closer, the shock, the framing of the camera.

Also the moments where they are close are preceded by moments that make their affections clear.

Look at the way Julian looks at Garak. ^^^

Originally posted by cellularennui

Look at the way Garak looks at Julian. ^^^

And then they have moments like this:

Originally posted by kaelio

No I’m not overanalysing. We are all sane, the writing is on the wall in big fat capitol letters.

This is more than queer coding, this is almost more than subtext, one kiss or deceleration of love would have made everything before it click, like pushing over the final domino.

And that’s why I just read it as a cannon relationship with a missing episode.

I’m not sorry. If one of them had of been a woman nobody would have mistaken the CLEAR and OBVIOUS reading that the two of them had intense sexual chemistry.

Add to it ‘little achievements’, a stitch in time and practically the entire cast and crew agreeing that they were gay. I’ll die on this fucking hill, this is not just a ship it’s one of the greatest missed opportunities for gay rep in Star Trek and we almost had it.

Originally posted by v-e-l-v-e-t-g-o-l-d-m-i-n-e

*mic drop*

Read the comments there’s so much good analysis like this ashhdjdn

But yeah even disregarding the physical distance (like for the sake of argument we’ll say it’s solely due to aspect ratio needs), the sensitivity of their expressions and body language read so very romantically. Like all the time constantly. That plus their conversations and things like the gifts of chocolate and holonovels…they’re so obviously in a relationship. Yeah it’s like there’s a missing episode or something idk how anyone could deny this