Is it normal to love someone but their qualities suck?

What separates the guy I'm seeing right now and other guys who share his same qualities is I love this guy but why? idk...that's what love is, it's something you can't really explain. But like my title, his qualities suck and its so hard for me to deal with them. Why do I put myself through this? cause I'm in love with him and I can't just walk away. It's not that easy. His sucky qualities might not describe him as a "bad guy" but those qualities alone are hard to deal with. Things like being guarded is one of them. I know, guys can be like that and even if we let them know its okay to express themselves to us and we won't judge, they just won't be able to do it. He is definitely intimately and emotionally unavailable. It is so hard to accept it and understand it might not be anything personal, it's just how he is, but I really wish he can gain the strength to express himself. He says he's into me but his lack of effort doesn't prove it. He admitted sort of that his ego can defeat him...well now that you recognized it can you please do something about it?
How do you deal with a guy who is so emotionally unavailable? It's sad cause you want to do couple things, you want to be best friends, but if he's so stiff and stubborn, how are we ever going to be close and intimate? He says I'm just going to have to deal with it cause he can't change even if he wanted to or I should just leave. Well what if I don't want to leave? That's already effort on my part and now it would be nice if he made some effort too and try to improve himself.