Some asexual people do have the desire for partnered relationships that cannot be described as “just friendship,” though it’s a common misconception that all asexual people lack the capacity for romantic love. The opposite situation—sex or sexual attraction between people who are not in love—is universally acknowledged. Sex can even be great between people who aren’t in love! But love without sex (or the desire for it) is frequently called out as impossible, or at least unequal to “real” love.
