One can certainly be emotionally close and intimate with a person with out getting physical at all [or before reaching that point].

To be honest, I really prefer forming somekind of personality/intellectual attraction and interaction before getting physical with some one. Often, I can only find someone sexually attractive if I have found their brain and personality attractive first.

It is not unreasonable or unusual to desire platonic [or nonsexual] engagement before getting physical with someone. that is actually not an uncommon MO.