Look at him. Just look at his one bulky hand resting on Rapunzel's shoulder. Look at his other hand gently pushing her hair out of her face as he looks at her in concern. "I've tried," he gasps, assuring her that she needn't go down there if he tried, he wouldn't let her risk it too. "It's pitch black down there."
This is the first time we see Eugene swipe her hair out of the way when he speaks to her. He wants to look at her, is concerned for her. Unlike Mother Gothel who kissed her hair everytime she came up.
By the time they reach the kingdom, we all just know that he's falling in love with her. But somehow we never realise this was when we realised that Eugene started falling for her.
Maybe he didn't even realise it yet, but they showed us development in their dynamic: from irritated codependency, to putting her in trouble for his need, to breaking out of prison to save her.
So this is for all those people out there who call Eugene-Rapunzel a baseless romance. Disney showed us the development. So all of this:
And this
And this
Is not baseless. It was born out of a small spark that we could see from the start. It's a fricking fire and gave rise to one of the best healthy ships in any fandom ever seen. So shut up Maria, Rapungene for life.
