Antonio and Sebastian: Friends or More?

I kind of felt like maybe there were some deeper feelings between Antonio and Sebastian during the last Act, but I wasn’t quite sure of whether or not it was just good, manly friendship between them and one man truly wanting to look after another and make sure he was alright. However going into Act 3, I feel like there’s more of an affection on Antonio’s part that’s more than just “brotherly” love. He states that, in response to Sebastian making a comment about him following him into Illyria, “I could not stay behind you. My desire,/ More sharp than filed steel, did spur me forth,/ And not all love to see you” (3.3.4-5) Here Antonio clearly states that he has a “desire” for him and again we have a sort violent representation of his passion with the filed steel, which can easily represent a sword. Antonio always goes on to say how he’s willing to risk his life for him and how he’s driven by “love”, “desire”, and “jealousy”. He even entrusts him with his money later on in the Act.

It’s interesting to note that the majority of the affection and love in this play has some sort of confusion and deceit. We have Viola who loves Orsino, but she’s dressing like a man. Orsino who seems to be aware and possibly even attracted to “Cesario” and his androgyny but is ultimately madly in love with Olivia, who loves “Cesario” and plenty of more minor characters like Malvolio. Upon first glance there doesn’t seem to be much deceit at all on Antonio’s or Sebastian’s part. Not only that, but this is budding relationship doesn’t have any gender bending confusion. Does anyone else think there’s more than a bromance going on between them? It’s understood that relationships between males were more common and had much more importance than those with women, but all the desire and the erotic nature of some of Antonio’s words blur the lines. What do you think Shakespeare is saying about same sex relationships if in fact the both of them do really care for each other? And where do you see their relationship ending up at the end of the play?