PLEASE VOTE AND COMMENT

Mattheo Riddle wasn't the type to be sentimental. He wasn't soft, he wasn't sappy, and he sure as hell wasn't the kind of guy to buy stuffed animals.

And yet, here he was.

Standing in the back of a small Hogsmeade shop, holding a stuffed bunny in his hands like a complete idiot.

The shopkeeper was already eyeing him weirdly—probably wondering why a six-foot-six Slytherin bad boy covered in scars and tattoos was loitering in the plushie aisle. But Mattheo barely noticed.

Because this wasn't just any bunny.

It was small, soft, and pure black—just like Y/N's hair. Its fur was smooth beneath his calloused fingers, and the floppy ears reminded him of the way she tilted her head when she was annoyed with him. He could already imagine the look on her face when he gave it to her—the sharp skepticism, the slight narrowing of her eyes, the inevitable eye-roll.

But he also knew that, later, when no one was watching, she'd probably keep it. Maybe even sleep with it. And the thought of her curling up with something he gave her made something unfamiliar twist in his chest.

Before he could overthink it, he bought the damn thing.

Back in his dorm, he sat on his bed, staring at the bunny like it was some kind of puzzle. It was stupid, really. He could've just given it to her as it was. But that wasn't enough.

Reaching for the bottle of cologne on his nightstand—the one Y/N always claimed smelled "annoyingly good"—he spritzed a light mist over the bunny.

Then, for good measure, he pressed it against his chest and held it there for a few minutes.

If he was going to give it to her, it might as well smell like him.

Later That Night

Y/N pushed open the door to Mattheo's dorm without knocking—because when did she ever? She found him lounging on his bed, twirling a dagger between his fingers, looking up at her with his usual smirk.

"Missed me already, Kane?"

Y/N rolled her eyes but sat on the edge of his bed anyway. "What do you want, Riddle?"

Instead of answering, he reached behind him and pulled out the small black bunny, holding it out toward her without explanation.

She blinked at it. Then at him. Then back at the bunny.

"What," she said slowly, "is that?"

Mattheo shrugged like it was no big deal. "It's for you."

Y/N narrowed her eyes. "You—Mattheo Riddle—got me a stuffed animal?"

"Yeah." He tossed it into her lap like it wasn't the single softest thing he had ever done in his life. "Problem?"

She picked it up hesitantly, fingers running over the soft fur. Then she paused, bringing it closer to her face before turning a suspicious look on him.

"This smells like you."

Mattheo smirked, leaning back against the pillows. "And?"

"And you did that on purpose," she accused, staring at him like he had grown a second head.

He stretched his arms behind his head, grinning. "Figured if you're gonna sleep with it, it might as well smell like me."

Y/N felt her face heat up. "I—who said I was going to sleep with it?"

Mattheo just chuckled, reaching out to pull her closer until she was half-draped over his chest, the bunny still clutched in her hands.

"You will," he murmured into her hair. "And you'll think of me when you do."

Y/N opened her mouth, ready to argue, but the warmth of his arms around her, the scent of his cologne already wrapped around her senses, made her stop.

Instead, she huffed, snuggling into his chest while keeping the bunny tucked against her.

"...Shut up, Riddle."

Mattheo only laughed, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

And if, later that night, Y/N fell asleep curled around the bunny, breathing in the familiar scent of leather and spice... well, that was between her and the stuffed animal.