they (and by "they", I mean "I") would bother because they genuinely like you, care about you, enjoy your company and want you to be happy. They would like to be chosen family or a friend, because they love you, but can't be sexual with you. There is a lot of shared experience, shared goodwill, mutual protection, would-never-want-to-hurt-you, and generalized warmth, along with a dollop of the family-of-origin style "love you even when sometimes you drive me crazy" on both sides.

What I don't know is if you're willing to forge a new option, and add another term to this glossary.