My friend wants to have sex with me

My friend of many years has recently told me that he REALLY wants to have sex and its sure if he can continue to talk to me because of it. I dont know what to do with this now, I mean he has told me before that he wanted to do me but I always brushed it off like a joke or something since he would say when he was drunk. I think a conversation we has on our past relationships and sexual history is what has been fueling this (he is vanilla and a newbie while Im a little more kinky with experience) but i have spoken to him about these things before so im not sure why now it has become a problem. I dont know what to do i dont want to lose my friend but je doesnt seem like he will be able to get past these feelings.