It's actually a good question. I've had such relationships, where there weren't seemingly any "admiration" behaviors. Looking back, I now realize that admiration is mostly defined by actions, and not words. Example: you make me feel like shit by criticizing the crap out of me; I come back the next day to try set things right; you conclude that if I came back after everything you've said, I must admire you even more than you thought. Such behavior sends a much stronger message than simply trying to please somebody