My best friend has changed?

I have been friends for a number of years with my best male buddy. There has never been anything to complicate our friendship and we can talk to each other about anything. He is from another country. I know they have some different customs etc.

Thing is lately he has been saying stuff to me that makes me think he wanted more than just friendship with me. For example I was late going to chat with him and he wondered why I was late. I just casually said I was having a bath. To which he replied 'my pretty friend in a bath. Then I asked him about what did he hope for the future. He said he would love a nice house and to be closer to me!' He had told me before that there was nothing but friendship between me and him. But there has been little stuff like calling me ...in his native language 'Mi amigtuta queirda and asks me for hugs a lot. I live in another country to him and although he has left his native country and moved closer to mine, we chat every day or night or both. He is on his own and studying in uni, so he needs my support. He has always been there for me and I for him. But I am not attracted to him. I love his company and he has so much to offer a lovely girl and one day I do hope he finds the perfect girl for him and settles down.

Anyways,thing is just a few days ago when he said he wanted to get closer to me. I asked him again was he looking for more than friendship from me. His reaction wasnt what I had expected. he went quiet. so quiet conversation was a struggle. He said I didnt know how to be friends with a guy, that i dont think of him on equal terms.

Since then its be a struggle to chat with him. He is quiet and not the usual chatty self. He took his pic of the messanger and replaced it with a building. I have been doing most of the talking and he is unusually quiet.

We have had such a great friendship, I was able to take the risk in asking him about stuff, without fear of it going against me. But his reactions was nothing as I expected. I am now totally mystfied about his reaction. The quietness is deafening. I hate being the one to hold up a conversation that would otherwise sink if I didn't.

Why is he behaving like this? Is he telling me the truth that there is nothing? What is going on?