My favorite O/K episode ... the one I still write fics about
. Everything was in it ... love, angst, heartbreak, and passion. Their relationship was already strong and rooted in love and friendship before "Chimera" but afterward Odo truly understood that Kira not only loved him, but so fiercely and deeply that she risked her career and ... well, everything, to set Laas AND him free. What I think moved him beyond words in the turbolift was that it was FOR him, her sacrifice and everything that could have happened to her. If she had been caught, the consequences would have been harsh -- depending on who would have wanted to put her on trial: Klingons (for releasing their prisoner), Federation since she is on a Starfleet station, or Bajorans because she is a highly-ranked Bajoran officer. She would have lost her career and her future ... everything, but because she loved Odo so much she just shrugged it off as "If it makes him happy, so be it."
You can see Odo's metaphorical heart breaking when Kira tells him she's sorry she can't link with him ... and then even more when she tells him she doesn't want him to feel obligated to stay.
Loved watching them make love in the end, especially the erotic way they did. I'm sure they had a busy night
.
A two-parter of it would have been awesome!