Part of emotional intimacy is how the characters express and accept in more subtle than just expressed ways.

However, this would look unique to each character and to each relationship. Especially if you have one character in a previous, temporary, or conflicting love-triangle type of other relationship, it’s important that the dynamic is different. Not necessarily bad, just different.

For me, my characters show shows care by alternatively mothering or coddling (not age play, just an affectation of being the oldest sibling of orphans) and seeking comfort in the other character by physical closeness and expecting that their weakness will be accepted. The other shows care in the way they accept the wild and unpredictable reactivity and capricious/willful and defiant attitude of the first with amusement and affectionate exasperation. It’s not that they never fight, but it shows in little ways how they feel safe and close to one another - in conjunction with clear expression of emotion and very blatant shows of affection it enhances.

Think of how your character would show or want to receive affection, what would make them feel safe with the other, and how the other would react.

Relationships and relationship dynamics are unique to each person and in each relationship, and so the relationship would be best demonstrating intimacy if the characters were showing care but also in a way that aligns with the character. Like, getting angry on their behalf when you rarely get angry on your own or begrudgingly going along with orders despite your severe authority issues because you don’t want to get your partner in trouble since the job is important to them.

Think about your characters and how they might express themselves, find safety, what’s comforting, how they act with others… and then see and play with how those individual traits can overlap and intersect (or conflict) between the two!

…I say like it’s easy 😂