Of love, Patience, and Aqua Males

I'm yet another woman puzzled and a bit frustrated by the aqua males. I'm in love with one of them who is also a friend of mine. I've known him for 2 years and a 1/2 now. The first year and a half we were distant friends i.e. I would see him around and at social functions, would be shy around him but would still be able to have intelligent conversations with him and find what kind of person he was (and the more I've learnt the more fascinated I'd get), he seemed to enjoy those conversations but always had this aloof and dreamy look about him. He's the hottest guy around and I'm the average girl when it comes down to it. Every girl I know fantasize about him while he doesn't seem to notice. I knew I didn't have a chance and never approached him that way although sometimes he would flirt with me but I always get flustered and redirected things. I kept our exchanges to an intellectual level...
Anyway, last spring my feelings got a hold of me and a crush became love (or so I think) and that caused me to act in weird ways and the only solution (our distant friendship was threatened) was for me to confess my feelings for him. I know how scary a declaration of "love" can be to anyone so I was really careful with that and think I managed it well by using words such as "like" as opposed to the big "L" word.
He reacted so supremely well that it all had the effect of making me love him even more: this guy sat there and listened to me without judging and being honest about his engagements elsewhere. He was a true friend like I've never known. After learning a lot about aquas online (surprisingly I don't have any aqua male friend to compare his behavior) I decided to stick around and try the friend approach, which I'm aware may result in nothing but also requires lots and lots of patience (or so they say about aquas).
A new kind of friendship began to develop between me and the aqua one based on trust, honesty, and mutual caring. We both know what we want and where we stand, although I can't seem to stop pushing for more sometimes. I think I've moved from one of the friendly faces in the crowd to a personal friend.
His behavior regarding me is at worse that he keeps me at a romantic distance -by not spending exclusive bit of time with me (i.e. going for coffee (which he had one suggested while flirting outrageously with me but never followed up on it). I would try to invite him to the movies or to go dancing and he would always find good excuses to reject my invitations to hang-out in a nice way; I guess he doesn't want to give me ideas.
At the same time, he's an amazingly supportive friend. He sent me a birthday card last month thanking me for being a "wonderful person." Just last week, he skipped class to attend an important presentation that I was giving on my research project. He reacted enthusiastically to my invitation and until I saw him in the room I didn't really believe he would come. When I thanked him for coming, his response was "anytime." One he reiterated by email and he sounded really sincere.
In any case, I feel incredibly lucky to have such a wonderful supportive friend who can admire and respect me but at the same time I'm wondering if I'm not wasting my time. I don't think I am because he is totally worth it. That's the first time I'm "pursuing" a guy like that...
But a friend of mine (who by her own word is not patient (A Sag) and has been in a number of superficial and abusive relationships) thinks I should let go and move on...I'm too patient she says.
I don't know what to think anymore...maybe I am being too patient but how to judge given the strength of my feelings and the proverbial needs for a patient approach to the aquas!!! I'm a capricorn with ascendant in scorpio so I go between two poles when it comes to this...it's been ten months since my declaration!

Any insight would be appreciated...

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