Title: My Boyfriend's Back

Summary: Six months after Ricky left Rod, Rod's arm finally heals, and he finally gets to go back to work. Ricky went looking for Rod – just to apologize, he swears – but he can't without getting in trouble with both Nicky and his coworkers. Namely Matt.

A/N: Dedicated to musicalvampire, for reviewing almost every chapter of Schadenfreude … or not and wanting Ricky dead because of what he did to Rod. Thanks for sharing my feelings, but Ricky's not gonna die. Sorry!

And again. I own nothing but Anna, her family, and the restaurant.

Rod practically skipped into the apartment when he got home from work. It was his second day back to work, and he was still excited that he could go back. He'd been home for six months just because of his arm. He'd almost gone stir-crazy because he couldn't go to work, so he'd just walk to the restaurant and back when he thought he was going to go mad.

"You're still here?" Rod asked, stopping in the doorway when he saw Nicky still there. "I thought that your shift had started by now."

"Anna's coming on her lunch break. She'll be here in a minute."

"I thought you were working all day today."

"Nope. Just five-thirty to close. Come with me for dinner, Rod."

"No, I'll be fine here."

"You've been in the house almost nonstop since you broke your wrist, Rod. You need out."

"Nicky, I'll be fine. I just got home from work, anyways."

"Well, just call the restaurant if you change your mind," Nicky said as a car pulled up on the street outside of the apartment building. "We'd really like you to be there." Nicky passed him and almost ran out of the building to the car waiting for him to take him to work.

"God damn it," Rod muttered, pulling off his suit jacket. Why did he have to say he was fine being home? He knew that he hated staying home, but he'd had a feeling that something bad would happen at the restaurant if he went there.

***

Anna and Ricky had been extremely careful about getting him out of the restaurant so that Matt and Nicky wouldn't see him and kill him because of the state he'd put Rod in. "I'm off on Tuesday, Ricky. I'll come get you and take you to Rod's to let you apologize after he gets home. I'll make sure you don't get killed."

"Thank you ever so much, Anna. I really appreciate it."

"I don't want you dead anymore than I wanted Rod dead when I found out he was so bruised. I don't know if I'll ever forgive you for that, but I just want to make sure that you don't get yourself killed when you go apologize."

"Tuesday'll be great, Anna. Thanks."

"See you 'round, Ricky." Anna smiled as he left. Why couldn't they just get on with their lives? She saw why Ricky wanted to apologize – he wasn't all that proud of what he did and wanted forgiveness from the man he did it to – but she just wanted to leave this whole ordeal behind her. Well, she could when he apologized. All of them could.

A/N: I really need to be working on 'Family Matters More' and 'The Green Kids,' but I wanted to start writing this.