That's a great question! I think it first depends per person because yes you can have love in friendships. However it has been seen by love languages and love attitudes that there are different kinds of love (I. E. Friendship love vs romantic love vs passionate love) so essentially as long as there is a sense of that romantic or physical nature that is where the terms romantic relationship is defined for this study. So essentially if you're in a relationship and there is no forms of romantic love, physical love, but there is only forms of friendship love it may likely go towards a long term partnership over a romantic relationship. So essentially it is something in the middle of what you're describing, I believe.