A/N: This might end up becoming a compilation of one shots because a) I love this couple and b) there's not enough of them out there. And there are holidays coming up that I love writing for so we'll see what happens. Thank you to everyone who reviewed the first one and who really gave me the courage to approach this couple again! Although this sometimes felt like pulling teeth...I think it turned out okay. :) Guess we'll see! Sully might be my new obsession...

Also, I might get myself into trouble for this one...but if you guys have any suggestions for one shots, I'd be more than happy to take a go at them. Just one shots. I'm not in a good place to get into a full blown story right now :)

Disclaimer: I own nothing of Monsters Inc and make no profit from the writing of this fic.

Our First

Mary paced back and forth, bouncing Joshua lightly in her arms and attempting to shush his fussing. He'd been awake for an hour now, having only slept for fifteen minutes before waking up crying. No one had ever warned her about teething and how two year molars out-did every other type of teeth a child could possibly grow. No one told her that no amount of Tylenol or teething tablets would ease the pain of cutting teeth and allow crying children to sleep.

"Come on, Josh," she pleaded, blowing strands of slightly tangled hair out of her eyes. "You've gotta sleep baby."

He stopped long enough to give her a slight shred of hope, then ripped it away seconds later by releasing a wail that outdid all others up to this point.

Mary groaned and continued her pacing, shifting him to her other arm and bouncing him lightly. She was so engrossed in the task of trying to calm him that she didn't notice the closet door opening behind her or the large, blue furred monster that started to creep out but hesitated upon seeing her, then snuck by and out the bedroom door. She continued to fight what was steadily becoming a losing battle, losing all track of time and thinking of nothing but her own quickly unraveling sanity. And then, like magic, a glass of wine appeared in front of her, held awkwardly by a blue furred paw. Gasping, Mary whirled, nearly colliding with Sully's chest and spilling the contents of the wine glass.

"Sorry," came the immediate apology. "You looked like you could use this."

With Josh suddenly and blissfully distracted, Mary slumped and gave Sully a tired smile. "I could use ten of those."

"Here, give me Josh. I'll take care of the little guy." Already Josh was squirming in her arms, reaching out for Sully. "You go…take a bath or something."

She started to protest, not wanting to feel like a complete failure when it came to calming her own child. But then she remembered that sanity and what precious little of it remained. Allowing Josh to slide from her arms into Sully's, she plucked the glass from Sully's hand. "Thank you."

He shooed her away, toying with Josh and pulling tired little giggles from the boy. It was quite obvious that James Sullivan had the situation handled. Sparing them one last glance and allowing herself to melt over the image of Sully calming her child, bouncing him gently as he paced in small circles beside the crib, Mary sighed and turned toward her room. She couldn't deny that Sully's suggestion to take a bath had held a great deal of appeal, especially now when coupled with a glass of chilled red.

Passing through her room and leaving the lights off, she went straight to the bathroom where her claw-foot tub waited. Her steps slowed as she approached the open doorway where flickering light spilled over the carpet. She hadn't left any lights on…

At the doorway, she came to a stop, a sigh slipping past her lips and a smile transforming her tired face. The bathtub was already filled, bubbles tempting her from over the curled porcelain ledge. Candles had been lit, not many, but just enough to add a spa like ambiance.

Oh Sully, her romantic monster. She started to pull the door closed, thinking she would leave it open just a crack in case she was needed. Then, thinking better of it and knowing that Sully was more than capable of handling Josh, she closed the door and shut out the world. She shut out her responsibilities, her life, and traded it all in for several blissful moments of "mom time."

Slipping out of her jeans, sweater and underwear, she left them in a pile beside the tub then lifted a leg and touched the very tip of her toe to the frothy waters. It was steaming hot, just the way she liked it. After retrieving a hair tie from the counter where it sat amongst the scattered compacts of blushes, shadows, liners and lipsticks and pulling her hair back into a sloppy pile of midnight tresses atop her head, she stepped fully into the tub, sat and then sank back until the bubbles whispered their fizzling cadence just below her ear.

Relaxation came immediately, easing into the aching muscles of her lower back, sliding along the arch of her feet and over the curve of her shoulders. She released a deep sigh, closing her eyes and dropping her head back.

She allowed her mind to wander, something it hadn't been able to do in days due to the constant fitful nights and her workload that filled the gaps where Josh and his teething hadn't. But now Sully was here, taking care of Josh and she was allowed those precious moments she didn't often get.

She hummed softly, her smile growing ever so slightly at the thought of her blue furred monster. She hadn't seen him in a few nights which was normal. Night time was a busy time for both of them. He had a company to run, she had a child to keep happy – it wasn't unnatural for their schedules to not exactly mesh. But when they did, Sully made up for lost time by being extremely attentive and doting on her every need. She said he was spoiling her. He said she deserved it.

He'd taken a fascination in human food and she'd been more than happy to teach him the basics of cooking. However, it was only the basics. She'd never been much of a cook herself and luckily for her, Sully was a bit of a natural in the kitchen. So he would cook for her while she sat on the couch, watching him move about her kitchen as carefully as a huge monster could move with a smile on her face, content to just be in the same house with him.

Countless nights had been spent snuggled up on the couch watching movies with a bowl of popcorn between them or catching up on the years they'd missed, their quiet voices filling the small living room. There had even been a few occasions where Sully had insisted on her accepting an invite to go out with co-workers while he stayed with Josh. On those nights she would come home after several glasses of wine and a good dose of human interaction and thank Sully with long, drawn out kisses…that never lead much further than kisses.

Mary opened her eyes, staring up at the ceiling. Nothing more than kisses. And it wasn't even Sully's fault. Though she'd been adamant about them trying to be something, taking the next step over that line from what she knew into a world of something completely foreign to her had been…terrifying. She had no idea how the monster anatomy worked. She had no idea if Sully would enjoy being with her or if being with her wasn't like being with one of his own kind at all. She wasn't naïve enough to believe that monsters lived intimacy free lives. The night they'd been reunited had eliminated any doubts pertaining to that. But the uncertainty of it all and the chance that she might disappoint him was very…intimidating. It kept her from moving much farther than long make-out sessions worthy of the back seat at a drive in movie.

Wrapping her arms around her legs and setting her chin between her knees, Mary frowned. There was really no rational reason for the fear. In everything he did, Sully was gentle and understanding. But…if this continued…if she couldn't overcome the fear of being intimate with Sully…would he grow tired of her and leave?

And why continue waiting? It had been over two years since she'd been with a man. The only one she wanted was Sully. She'd convinced him to give them a try. She loved him more than she ever thought she would. Why keep it at something so innocent?

With a disgruntled sound, Mary reached for the towels kept on the rack beside the tub, folded one and placed it under her head as she relaxed into the water once more. She played with the bubbles, lazily rearranging them so that they covered every visible inch of her and continued the annoying process of burying her anxiety.

By the time the water was starting to cool, she was still nervous, but relatively certain she could face it. She stood, took another towel from the rack and wrapped it around herself, tucking one end between her breasts. She caught site of herself in the mirror as she started for the door and stopped. Wide brown eyes stared back at her from under a fringe of dark bangs. Strands of damp, curled hair lay against her neck and her cheeks were flushed from the heat. She at least looked confident. Maybe something lacy and see through would help. Maybe it would also give the poor guy a heart attack. Aside from the tank top and shorts she'd been wearing that first night back together, Sully hadn't seen her in much less than that.

The thought was enough to make her laugh softly as she left the bathroom, turning out the light behind her and casting the room into even further darkness. She went to her dresser, trying to remember the last time she'd worn the lingerie she kept tucked towards the back of the top drawer. Some probably still had the tags on them. If she remembered right, there was a purple and blue satin piece that she hadn't been able to resist the temptation of.

She was digging for that very piece, finding herself slightly amused by the collection of scandalous undergarments she apparently owned and never put to much use when she heard a very male and very monstrous gasp. Startled, she spun to see Sully standing in the doorway, watching her intently. Heat rose to her cheeks and she couldn't stop the question of whether or not he liked what he was seeing from crossing her mind.

The silence stretched between them, growing more unbearable and tense by the moment. Finally, Mary took it upon herself to break it.

"Did Josh go down okay?"

Sully lifted a big paw and rubbed at the back of his neck, tearing his eyes away from her and keeping them safely on the floor. "Oh, yeah. He did just fine."

She smiled, relaxing a little. "Thank you. And thanks…for the bubble bath. That was really sweet of you."

Sully shrugged, his eyes looking anywhere but at her. "You looked like you could use it."

He was nervous. That fact alone did so much to ease her doubts about sleeping with him. Deciding there was no point to trading in her towel for something different, she closed the drawer and crossed the room to where he stood, wrapping her arms around him and burying her face against his furry chest.

"I've missed you," she whispered, feeling the nerves calm as his arms came around her, holding her tightly.

"I've missed you too, Boo."

"Busy at work?"

He hummed softly, nuzzling her wet hair and her smile widened. His hands ran the length of her back, settling low on her waist. Lazily, she ran her fingers through the fur over his shoulders and curled her fingers around the soft tufts. Feeling calm and just a little daring, she rubbed her nose against his neck, keeping her eyes closed. "With the way you're acting, I'm starting to think the bath was planned to get me out of my clothes."

There was a brief pause, and when he spoke again she could hear the grin in his voice. "It might have been."

Her heart tripped and settled into a frantic pace. She attempted to steady her breathing but just as she was getting the hang of it, Sully bent and swept her up in his arms, forcing the breath she was so valiantly trying to control straight from her lungs.

He walked to the bed and sat down, settling her in his lap.

"Mary…"

She couldn't find it in her to lift her head, to allow him to see the fear she knew would be painfully clear in her eyes. His knuckles brushed under her chin, then pushed upward until she had no choice but to meet his gaze.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

His brows lowered in a confused frown. "Sorry? For what?"

"For being scared. I shouldn't be. I begged you to give me a chance…to give us a chance. If anything, I should be the one pushing for this but…but what-." She drew a shuddering breath and closed her eyes. "What if I'm not good enough?"

"Aw, Boo…why would you think that?"

"Because!" she cried softly, looking to him once more. "Because I'm not a like you. I love you so much, Sully. But…what if I'm not enough for you?"

"You were enough for me before we ever became anything," he murmured softy, brushing his fingertips along her jaw before circling his hand around the base of her neck.

"But Sully…what if this doesn't…work? I mean, how is this even supposed to work?"

The softness in his gaze turned to something darker, something wilder that spoke of passion and promise. "There's only one way to find out-."

He pulled her forward and then his mouth was on hers, soft and yet so strong. He coaxed her lips apart and she opened for him, mindlessly giving in to the temptation that had beckoned her for far too long.

She felt his one of his hands at the edge of the towel and gasped, pulling back. "Sully-."

"Relax," he said softly, giving a gentle tug at the terry cloth. "There's nothing about you that disappoints me, Mary. There never will be."

The towel fell free, pooling around her waist and heat rose to her cheeks as his gaze fell to the exposed flesh. The hunger that suddenly blazed to life caused her stomach to clench pleasantly. And fear was no longer an issue. Emboldened by the obvious admiration, she moved in his lap, straddling his waist and framing his face in her hands. "James-."

He turned, pressing her back against the bed, sweeping his hand down the length of her body, then, with deliberate slowness, dragging it back up, the tips of his claws leaving fire in their wake.

Mary whimpered, arching against his caress. His hand circled hers, pinning it above her head and she looked up into his loving eyes, smiling.

"I love you, Boo," he murmured, rubbing his nose against hers, vanquishing what remained of any anxiety and freeing her to enjoy what pleasure he could give her.

"I love you, Kitty," she whispered back.

Much later, with the moon making its decent, she sighed the declaration again, holding her lover close. Her body, tucked so carefully against his, trembled, the sweat slicked limbs tangled with his. Sully's arm came around her waist and he groaned, pressing his lips to the curve of her neck.

"See? It worked."

She chuckled breathlessly. "Yeah…I'll say it did. You're not going to have to go soon, are you?"

Sully levered himself up on an elbow, his lazy eyes watching her as he ran his claws through her damp hair. "Why? Did you need more?"

"More than you can give me in a few hours." She kissed his hand as it passed by her mouth. Though her body was still very sore, she was greedy for his touch, for the things he could do to her that she'd only just discovered. "But you have to get back-."

"Nah. I don't."

"You don't?"

He shook his head. "I'm on vacation for the next week and a half." He leaned down, kissing her softly. "So unless you were going to kick me out-."

"Not a chance." She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down and deepening the kiss. "Maybe you could make it two weeks?"

"Done," he muttered.