Absolutely, you should wait it out. For one, he has a girlfriend that you claim to respect, which means that he is off limits. And what makes you so sure he's supposed to be in your life anyway? Did you have a conversation with him that changed your life?
Do you think he feels the same way? No matter how you phrase it, it will come off as if you're hitting on another woman's man. And really, that's what you'll be doing. Imagine if some guy came up to you and said, "you know, I think we're destined to be involved in one another's life." You'd swear he was hitting on you. He could tell you that he meant it completely platonically and you'd still not believe him.
What does "be closer" mean anyway? Yeah, you need to fall back and be easy and I suppose hope that he and his girlfriend don't make it. Though if you're wishing for that kind of thing it would make you a bad person.
In life, there are just some things that you keep to yourself. This is one of them. If he's supposed to be there, he will be. The universe will work it out. Trying to force it by telling him isn't going to speed up the process, in fact it might slow it down because if he's a good guy, he's going to stop dealing with you so as not to make his current girlfriend uncomfortable with the girl who swears she and her man are supposed are inextricably linked.
Yeah, not gonna go over well.
You couldn't pay me enough to grow up again. Learning that shit the hard way was awful painful...
If you told him, you never know, maybe he'd be into you too. Just don't get him cheating on his girl. But if he thinks about it, and decides he wants to be with you, he can break up with his current girlfriend, and you two can start dating. Everyone deserves to be happy. Good for you, good for him, and good for his ex - she is now free to find the guy out there that's right for her.
However, don't expect this result. Only attempt it if you are willing to say good-bye to a friendship if it comes to that.