#but above and beyond that there's a fuckton of Political Complicatedness to the relationship in GoLion

[larathia]

Never stated? This isn't like Inu-Yasha or some other shonen where the guy's oblivious, or reacts to the female lead like a twelve year old pulling pigtails to get a girl's attention. This is Kenshin. The only reason Kaoru wasn't personally completely positive that Kenshin loved her was her own inexperience of being loved. Noooooooobody else had any doubts on the matter, after being around Kenshin for say, two days.

It was in everything Kenshin did. Everything he said. The absolutely visible and noticeable extra care, extra gentleness, extra gratitude. And if and when some bad guy thought "I'll get his attention", even they knew to go right for Kaoru, and every time they did anyone in view (including, in the end, the bad guy) learned that even in all that extra kindness/gentleness/gratitude, Kenshin was still holding back how much he loved Kaoru and it came out in the thorough ass kicking that got laid down for daring to lay a hand on her.

Even Megumi, as much as she wanted to believe otherwise, as much as she tried to turn Kenshin's head, knew without doubt that Kenshin loved Kaoru deeply; if anything, that Kaoru seemed not to clue in how much this was the case was a cause of great resentment for her.

Kenshin's love for Kaoru is how you do it. Especially given the age difference between them, Kenshin's way of displaying a deep and abiding love while still leaving Kaoru absolutely, unquestioningly free to not even notice for much of the run...I mean. Kenshin is the textbook of 'how you do it right'.

Kenshin may have never intentionally and directly stated his romantic feelings for Kaoru, but it exists overwhelmingly and overflowing in the deep well within his soul.