epic failure: a platonic valentine's day gone wrong

{image taken from here}

Valentine's Day is just around the corner.  I love celebrating Valentine's Day, but not more so than, say, Christmas or Hallowe'en.  I just love being festive.  About anything.  I have had some great Valentine's Days as a single gal. But this year, I thought of something different.

I'm living with a male flatmate.  We get along really well, and we'll often stay up late talking over drinks on the couch.  We cook together, go out together, and leave each other alone when we want to.  Pretty much, I think we've got a good start on "platonic domestic bliss".  So it made sense that we'd be good Valentine's Day dates.  We're both single, we get along well, and we live together.  Seems natural, right?  I mean, it would just be so fun to dress up and have a date on Valentine's Day, and have someone to do this to, and this for.  So what if it's just for a friend/flatmate?

Well.  Was it ever a mistake to ask.  We were talking about the craft I'm doing, and he asked when Valentine's Day was.  I said next week, and then asked if he wanted to be my Valentine this year, and we could do something fun.  He looked taken aback and said "...Yeah, well, maybe...".  Realizing that Valentine's Day must be a MUCH more serious affair here than back home (a fact that my cousin confirmed), I laughed and tried to keep it light hearted from then on.  I jokingly said "Oh, thanks!"  And he said "Well, probably, I mean you're the first one to ask.".  To which I again (only half) jokingly said "Oh great.  I'm good until someone better comes along."  Then he got all flustered and said he didn't know what to say.  I told him I was teasing him (again, trying to keep things light hearted; didn't know it would be a big deal??).  Then he said "Ok, yeah, I'll be your Valentine".

But now I want out!  He so obviously feels uncomfortable with the idea, despite the fact that I didn't romance in mind.  Really, I just thought it'd be fun.  So I think I'm going to tell him this, and tell him that I'm taking back my invite because I don't want a) him to get the wrong idea, or b) things be awkward, or c) have him spend the evening with me only because either he feels trapped into doing so or because nothing better came about.  I can easily take myself out for Valentine's Day, or find a friend to spend it with.  I've done that before, no big deal.

Oy vey.

Thoughts?