In my opinion, Idia is the kind of person who needs to be shown openly, again and again, how much he is loved.
Idia is deeply insecure. Compliments tend to overwhelm him, but at the same time, he clearly reacts strongly to them. He is not someone who can brush off praise or affection as meaningless. He needs reassurance that is visible and repeated before it feels real. That is why MalleIdia makes sense to a lot of people. Malleus is naturally inclined to show care in ways that leave little room for doubt.
But there is someone else who would do the same thing, and the fandom tends to overlook it: Riddle.
Riddle is often mischaracterized as a tsundere, probably because one of his most popular dynamics involves open dislike toward Floyd. But Riddle is actually very honest and earnest. When he respects someone or appreciates them, he says it directly.
Even though his relationship with Idia was tense at the beginning, the more recent chapters show Riddle admiring Idia's genius, and Riddle immediately tells him so. Idia's birthday vignette is another clear example. Riddle compliments Idia sincerely, without teasing or hidden intent, and Idia becomes visibly flustered. Riddle also gives Idia many compliments in Idia's Phantom Bride vignette. If they were in a relationship, that would likely happen often.
Once Riddle becomes aware of Idia's insecurities, it is easy to imagine him being intentional about voicing affection. He would praise Idia's mind, of course, but he would also focus on things Idia does not believe about himself. He would tell him he is beautiful. He would call him lovely. To Riddle, the person he loves would naturally be the most beautiful person in the world, and he would see no reason to keep that thought to himself.
Riddle is also, canonically, a bit of a gentleman. He would bring Idia roses from the Heartslabyul garden and kiss his hand. Idia would get overwhelmed and insist it is too much, but the truth is that he needs that kind of affection. It helps him truly believe that he is loved.
TL;DR: Riddle is one of the most tender-hearted characters in the cast. When he loves someone, he loves strongly and fiercely, and that kind of devotion is exactly what Idia needs.
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