He’d probably run immediately the way he was about to with all that “I don’t have time money and emotional space to spend on a relationship” etc and with the trust issues and not being able to rely on others in a relationship capacity and feeling like if it’s a real relationship he’ll get expectations and emotionally invested and inevitably be let down,
offering to be sex friends is like saying “ok I won’t scare u away let’s start sharing this intimate thing you’re comfortable with that doesn’t require you to do anything more than enjoy yourself without overthinking or pressure all while I get to keep you near and spoil you and build up time spent together and you gradually get invested so at a later time you realize there’s nothing to be scared o, i’ve proven to be reliable and we’ve already practically been in a relationship all that’s left is calling it that and admitting feelings” it’s like offering relationship lite
I don't understand why you can't simply ask to become lovers if you can ask to become something like sex friends.