What? I'm pretty sure Steve would go to those lengths for a friend. Not only is he his childhood friend but he's the only person still living who was around back then. Losing him would be further disconnecting himself from the time he was born.
Like what do you think people would be like: "Yeah I would go and help them... BUT their only my friend so nah don't think it's worth it."
I think you are misunderstanding my post a bit.
I don't think that these are signs of a romantic relationship, only that they can be cues that can be read into as platonic and romantic depending on how one interprets the kinds of behaviors present in friendships like Steve and Bucky's.
Steve would certainly do whatever he could that was in his power for a friend, but I find it hard to imagine Steve going as far as he did for Bucky if it were Tony, Natasha, Sam, or any of the others. He'd fight for them, fight against them for their own good, but it would never be to the same lengths that he took for Bucky. He'd likely capture and subdue them if they were brainwashed. He'd try to get them to compromise or see the error of their ways if they were trying to run away.
Yes, letting Bucky die would have disconnected him from his original life, but even up until the helicarrier crashed into the Potomac, there were very few cues for Steve to believe he could wake Bucky from his programming. The Winter Soldier would have killed him if not for Steve telling him "I'm with you 'til the end of the line."
Steve had hope in Bucky and would have let him kill him in that moment had Bucky not faltered. There are very few people in this world who would allow a friend or family member to do that to them. Most people would fight back or walk away from that person.
And very few people would ever give up everything they've built in their lives or damage another friendship for just a friend or family member.
Also, in media where story beats that are similar to Steve and Bucky's are present but it is between a male and female character, these actions would be interpreted as wholly romantic. There wouldn't be a shadow of a doubt about it.
Which is why I said an argument can be made should somebody want to make one in favor of Steve and Bucky.
Plus I feel like supporting Steve-Bucky just falls into the idea that you can't have two close characters of the same sex who don't want to bone each other.
Which is what I agree with. Not every intimate male friendship needs to mean they are or will be romantically involved. I said as much in my post, and I believe that we do need to normalize male intimacy in order to cut down on toxic masculine behaviors in society.
But look at it this way—how often do we see intimate male friendships in media? Nowadays it is becoming more frequent to the point that we point them out as "bromances", but we rarely see male romantic relationships in popular media. One depiction of two male friends becoming lovers wouldn't invalidate all other intimate male friendships shown in media. It's a drop in the sea compared to the dozens of platonic bromances that are in various films and shows.
I don't really think it'd ever happen, but I think out of all of the possible choices to introduce an LGBT character or couple into the MCU by using existing characters, Steve and Bucky are solid choices just because they already have an existing history together within the franchise that is built on their dedication to each other and the intimacy they share.