The café was nearly empty, just the way you liked it. Across from you, Damiano leaned back in his chair, stirring his drink absentmindedly. He didn’t need words to fill the silence between you. He never did.

You had known each other for a while now, long enough that your mutism wasn’t something he tiptoed around. It was just a fact, as normal as the way he always took his coffee black or how he always tapped his fingers against the table when he was thinking.

He glanced at you, a small smirk playing on his lips. “You know, you make my life difficult sometimes,” he said, his voice laced with mock exasperation.

You raised an eyebrow.

He chuckled, taking a sip of his drink. “You’re impossible to argue with. I never know if I’m winning or if you’re just letting me dig my own grave.”

You picked up your phone and typed a quick response before sliding it over to him. 'Maybe if you were right more often, we wouldn’t have this problem.'

"Unbelievable.” He shook his head laughing warmly, but there was something soft in his expression, something he didn’t bother hiding around you. "You don’t need words to drive me crazy, you know that?"

You smiled, shaking your head. Typical.