Read, reblog, and resonate!
I don't think that Evangelion works as a series if you don't interpret Kaworu's feelings towards Shinji as love, and as the kind of love that humans share between each other, and Shinji not returning that love.
Kaworu teaches Shinji something very important: that being close to other people hurts you, but it's worth it. Kaworu showed Shinji unconditional love. He was interested in him, invested in him, liked him. Even though Shinji had killed so much of Angel kind. Kaworu loved him at the very end, even when he knew that Shinji had to kill him. Kaworu comforted Shinji even when he was at his mercy, moments from death. For some reason, Kaworu felt that showing Shinji love was important.
Shinji has been used, and hurt by the people around him. By his father, by Asuka, by Misato, even by Rei. But he learned, vitally, from Kaworu, that this doesn't make someone unworthy of love. That it doesn't mean he should give up on humanity, or on himself.