>>3529010There was originally supposed to be an implied romance between them on the show itself, but sadly the TV network managers had become a bit sharper since the 60s and mandated that they be given female love interests and separated for the rest of the series. Geordi from TNG was originally supposed to be gay too, you can still sort of see it in his friendship with Data.
It's funny, the only reason Star Trek was able to survive long enough to become a franchise was because of fujos publishing their fanfiction and organizing conventions, yet now those same fujos are scorned as horny fake fans.