Rewatch the opening scene from season 1's "Past Prologue" where Garak first sits with Bashir. There's flirty subtext throughout.

"What I added to that in that first episode was a sexual ambiguity about Garak. In that very first scene when he meets Dr. Bashir it’s clear as a bell— and this was my choice—that he was sexually attracted to this good-looking young Starfleet doctor. And although they didn’t follow that up with an explicitly gay character, that ambiguity about Garak remained."

Andrew Robinson, that actor who played Garak, intentionally added that subtext.

It’s one of those fan interpretation things. You can view their interactions through a lot of modern shipping tropes. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JdlXt2EWnkM

When it first aired I think it was less about implied romance, and more just Garak occasionally having the energy of a queer-coded Disney villain.

Bisexual Bashir is also an easier fan reading than most shows around that time. The last season literally had a scene where Bashir accused Miles of liking him more than his wife.

Sadly it's not that there was "so much" it was that it was "so gay." Berman cracked down hard on that, so there's only hints left.

Might be a bit blind i was like 15 when past prologue aired. "oh that handsy lizard is being all sexual"

I am afab though