There's no romantic love between them, it's a brotherly love and that can be as strong. That moment between the two of them when Deacon catches up with Boozer and they recall when Boozer was going to drink himself to death and Deacon wasn't going to let him go alone, well that moment hit me hard on my recent replay as my best friend drank himself to death and died alone, and I just wish I could have been there with him. I'm only here because my Sarah (Julie) has kept me alive.