But you don't want sex, I was told

Now this was incredible.  Friend saying that I don't want sex, that I'm good with just masturbation.

I had to say, there's nothing in the world I don't want more than good sex.  But I've been at my wits end just to establish a sexual relationship (which did not happen with the vast majority of women I dated, though I would have wanted sex on day one it would be a progression through hugging, touching, and kissing that might take months if it occurred at all), and keep it from falling apart, and tilt it toward good sex.  Recently, I haven't had something that even might have led to that outcome (see The Pause) for six months maybe.  And this is The Love of My Life.

So meanwhile, what's a guy gonna do?  Torture his libido?  Save it up?  Saving doesn't work.  Lack of any kind of stimulation first leads to intense male-anoia, and then to increasing dysfunction.  I credit regular masturbation (for lack of better alternative) to keeping my sexual function alive to 57, better than most guys at 30 (except, perhaps, quantity of semen).

So actually, to keep myself ready for my friend, should we ever actually get to the point of having good long sex, I must masturbate.