Just want to chime in as I am going through a similar stage to you.
My h came back in to my life about a year ago, he told me he wanted to be with me, I was the only one for him etc etc, just like your conversation with your h. Then when is came to it he backtracked as it was too full on for him, whilst he was waking up he was far from ready to be in a r with anyone. So we agreed to be friends, firmly in the friend zone with some rules - like no dating anyone else. We met up, had dates, enjoyed each others company and were there for each other. We have laughed, we have shared and we have discussed harder topics too. But it remained ....as frustrating as it was for me ...as friends. Fast forward a year and we are now heading to being together in a relationship, 4 weeks time he moves to me and we have committed to each other.
My advice is please please dont rush your h, he is telling you he wants to be friends and is feeling the pressure to be more as you want that and right now he is afraid if he does not give it to you you will leave his life. So let him lead this for a while (and it is hard not to push for more, I know), do it as his pace so that he can be comfortable with you and you with him. He may be feeling terrible guilt and needs time to reconcile those feelings and work out how he feels (which is still in painfully slow mode). To push him into a corner now could potentially send him off to yonder in a panic, you have come too far to let that happen Pink, so patience (oh how I dislike that word these days lol), understanding and lots more patience !!
