A/N – All Twilight characters belong to Stephanie Meyer. The song Fuckin' Perfect and its lyrics belong to P!nk

Nessie was lying on her bed, a bunch of books scattered in front of her. She had finished her homework and was now flicking idly through the pages of some magazine.

"Huhhhh…." She sighed.

A smile twitched at the corner of my mouth. This was a game we played all the time. Nessie would call out for attention, and I would annoy her by ignoring her. Until, of course, I inevitably gave in. But for now I pretended to keep working on my sketch of the most perfect girl in the world.

"Huuuuhhhhh…." She sighed again, this time a little louder and more pronounced.

I tried to keep a straight face. The pencil in my hand continued flying over the sketchpad, tracing the highlights of Nessie's hair. I felt the weight on the mattress shift as she moved to lean over to where I was sitting on the floor, propped against the side of her bed. She sidled up behind me and draped her arms around my shoulders.

"Jaaaake, I'm boooooored," she whined.

I felt the hum of her voice against my neck, her warm breath against my skin. Involuntarily, my breathing hitched. I swear her lips grazed the back of my neck. Mmmmm … her lips felt so soft and warm and ... Aahrrrr crap - Edward might be listening. Oh beautiful for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain … Okay, that's better. Singing always helped to block out those awkward thoughts that had been invading my mind lately. When had Nessie grown up so much? The little girl I'd held in my arms and read bedtime stories to was now a beautiful young woman, and my feelings had shifted of late. I still felt that deep connection and the protectiveness toward her that was instinctual. But there was a physical element to it now. A really physical element. Sometimes I'd be looking at her beautiful bronze curls and then my thoughts would drift to how hot she would look with her long silky hair draped over my pillow as I lay her back against my bed and … Aaarrgh, stop it, stop it now, Oh beautiful for spacious skies …

Nessie wasn't a little girl any more, but that didn't stop her from still trying to climb into my lap all the time. I smile flirted at the corners of my lips as I recalled how she'd tell me "You're my favourite person in the whole world, Jake," as she snuggled in.

"And you're mine," I'd tell her. Mine, the wolf would echo. And I'd have to hold it at bay. To Nessie, I was just her best friend. She didn't think of me that way, and I had no right to call her mine. But I wanted to, so much. Ness, my Ness. It sounded so right.

And then every now and then, she'd do stuff like this – like nuzzling up against my neck. Didn't she know what this was doing to me? I wanted her so badly. But between trying not to be that creepy older guy and the very vivid threats levelled on me by her undead, mind-reading father, the whole situation was killing me. I loved her. I loved her more than life itself. She was my imprint. My soulmate. I would wait for her. I would wait forever if she would have me. I didn't want anyone else, and no-one else would do. She was the gravity that held me to this earth, and without her my life would be an empty existence. So I let her rest her cheek against my neck as I savoured her sweet, sweet scent and the feel of her soft skin against mine. And I tried not to feel guilty about it.

Nessie's iPod speakers sounded the start of a new song. Some chick, beating out a power ballad. I'm usually more a Linkin Park kind of wolf. But this song didn't sound too bad.

"Who sings this?" I asked her.

"P!nk," Nessie smiled. "The song's called 'Fuckin' Perfect." The singer's voice continued to croon -

Made a wrong turn, Once or twice
Dug my way out, Blood and fire
Bad decisions, That's alright
Welcome to my silly life

Huh, these lyrics kinda cut. My thoughts drifted to my own wrong turns and bad decisions. Loving Bella. Chasing Bella. Tricking Bella into kissing me. Almost getting myself killed over Bella. Running away when I heard Bella and Sparkle Boy were getting married.

But I had eventually resurfaced, dug my way out so to speak. Blood and fire – huh, the irony. In what now felt like a lifetime ago, Bella had mused if the world would end in fire or ice. The heat of the wolf versus the icy marble of the creature whose survival depended on the lifeblood of this world. And then she had picked the bloodsucker. I was so angry and disillusioned, I thought my silly life wasn't worth the paper my birth certificate was written on.

How I had felt about Bella is only a distant shadow now. But I remember thinking it felt as though she'd kicked me in the guts. Repeatedly. And then one more time for good measure. So I did what I always did. I ran.

Mistreated, misplaced, misunderstood
Miss "no way, it's all good", It didn't slow me down

But eventually I pulled myself together and came back – to my horror, to find that Bella was pregnant. But I was drawn to her, still. So drawn to her, I couldn't explain it. It felt like there was some magnet pulling me in. I thought it was because I was in love with Bella, but in truth it was the pull of the imprint drawing me towards the life growing within her.

I remember so vividly that first time I looked into Nessie's eyes. It was like the gravity of the earth had shifted and I was truly seeing the world for the very first time. The ties that held me to this world cut loose and drifted away. In their place, I felt something so much stronger, purer, and perfect, anchoring me to the earth.

Of all the ways things could have turned out, I went and imprinted on a half-vampire - the offspring of my natural enemy.

Mistaken, Always second guessing
Underestimated, Look, I'm still around

At first, no-one believed it. How could it possibly be true? A wolf and a half-vampire? Was this some kind of cosmic joke? But I loved her. Completely. Absolutely. Unconditionally. I loved her. It didn't matter if no-one else believed it, the truth would still be the truth. And it rang bright and true through every fibre of my being. Until you experience it for yourself, it's impossible to understand how powerful and pure the imprint bond is. It was so hard for everyone to comprehend how a wolf could love so completely the offspring of his genetic enemy. And not just love her – it went beyond that. I adored her with all my heart and soul. My devotion to her was undeniable. We were joined by invisible cables that wove our very souls together. I would follow her to the ends of the earth and back, and be whatever she needed. The imprint was a force to be reckoned with, and one never to be underestimated.

So many years had passed, with no indication from her that I could expect anything more than friendship – and hey look, I'm still around. It was killing me, but I would rather be with her and deal with the pain, than be without her at all. As the song continued, I wondered whether whoever wrote it had been watching some movie about my life?

Pretty, pretty please Don't you ever, ever feel
Like you're less than Fuckin' perfect.
Pretty, pretty please If you ever, ever feel
Like you're nothing You're fuckin' perfect to me.

Nessie, my beautiful, perfect Nessie. I turned to look at her. She had climbed down from the bed and was now sitting on the floor next to me, nestled under my arm. She was so perfect, and we fit together so perfectly. I wished that I could do what she did with that gift of hers, and project to her how she made me feel – it was beyond what any words could describe. I wish she knew, so that she would realise how truly amazing she is, and so perfect in every way.

But she was so hard on herself sometimes. I didn't know whether it was some angsty teenage girl thing or what, but Nessie told me once that she often felt like she was nothing. Being a hybrid, she was half vampire, half human - but neither one nor the other. She said she felt like some displaced, disconnected freak.

You're so mean, When you talk,
About yourself, You are wrong.
Change the voices, In your head
Make them like you Instead.

I knew it was tough for her, being the only one of her kind in her family. In a house full of stone-cold vampires, none of whom slept, ate, or had hearts that beat, Nessie felt different and disconnected from the world around her. She had projected these feelings to me one day when I saw her moping. I had asked what was wrong, and she put her palm to my cheek, and I felt the despair and anger flood through to me.

So complicated, Look happy, You'll make it!
Filled with so much hatred, Such a tired game.
It's enough, I've done all I can think of
Chased down all my demons, I've seen you do the same.

I felt the depths of her pain, and they were even more magnified to my soul because of the imprint. But there was also a tinge of something wonderful mixed in with it - like the proverbial 'silver lining'. Weird. But I couldn't bear for her to be so sad. I wanted to comfort her, but I didn't know how. So I just held her close and cradled her to me. If only she knew how much she meant to me. Nessie may have felt disconnected to the world, but she was the one connection that held me to this earth.

Before I met her, I was living a dark, miserable existence, a life without meaning. But when I looked into her eyes that first time, a bolt of pure joy burned through to my very core and settled into the warm glow that has been there ever since. She gave my life meaning, and made me see the beauty of this world for the very first time.

I still hadn't told Nessie about the imprint. I wanted her to have the choice. Of course I wanted her to love me, but not because she felt any obligation to do so. But if she ever loved me back the way I so desperately loved her, I would tell her. I would tell her about how she made my life complete, how the day I imprinted on her the darkness lifted from my life; how she gave me the strength to chase down all the fears and anxieties that had plagued me, and how she'd given me the will to finally make something of myself. It was a bit cliché, but Nessie made me want to be a better man. Her smile brightened my every day, and because of her my life was worth living. I wished that she knew - although to the world, she was but one - but to me, she was the world.

Pretty, pretty please Don't you ever, ever feel
Like you're less than Fuckin' perfect.
Pretty, pretty please If you ever, ever feel
Like you're nothing You're fuckin' perfect to me.

My heart swelled with love for her. We were a funny pair, she and I. So different, yet so much the same. I stroked her fingers, thinking how small and white her little hand looked against my large russet one. She was so tiny, curled up in the crook of my arm. Sometimes I wondered how we must look walking down the street together.

The whole world stares while I swallow the fear, The only thing I should be drinking is an ice cold beer.
So cool in line and we try, try, try, But we try too hard, it's a waste of my time.

I noticed the mixed glances when people in town looked at us sometimes - the poor native guy from the Rez and the pale little rich girl. So I did something about it. I worked hard fixing cars, saved up a decent amount of money, and asked Alice to invest it for me. The relatively modest sum was now turning into a sizable nest egg.

Done looking for the critics, cuz they're everywhere;They don't like my jeans, they don't get my hair
We change ourselves and we do it all the time - Why do we do that? Why do I do that? (Why do I do that?)

I was done justifying myself to the rest of the world. The only thing that mattered to me is what Nessie thought. In addition to my investments, I was now close to finishing my engineering degree at Forks University. I hoped to open my own garage soon, and then I could pay back the Cullens for all the help they had given me over the years. And importantly, I would be able to provide for Nessie.

The Cullens would have to move again soon. They couldn't stay in one place for too long, and people were already beginning to talk about how the good Doctor didn't seem to be getting any older. I thought about that 'artwork' that was on the wall next to the stairs of the Cullen house – all those graduation caps. New identities, new lives, changing cover stories all the time, holding back on the powers. The neverending masks we mystical creatures wore so as to fit into a seemingly normal world. The wheel was about to turn again, and when the time came, I would have to decide whether to remain here as Alpha, or to leave the pack in Leah's charge and go with Ness.

But it was no contest. Nessie would always come first. Given a choice, I would always choose her. Even given no choice, I would still find my way back to her. The cables that held my soul to hers would always ensure the fidelity of my heart's promise.

Pretty, pretty please Don't you ever, ever feel
Like you're less than Fuckin' perfect.
Pretty, pretty please If you ever, ever feel
Like you're nothing You're fuckin' perfect to me.

Nessie. My imprint. My soulmate. I was put on this earth to love her and I would be whatever she needed. We were two peas in a pod, two halves of a whole - She was the yin to my yang. I would always be hers, and I wished so much that she was mine. Mine, the wolf echoed again.

Pretty, pretty please Don't you ever, ever feel
Like you're less than Fuckin' perfect.
Pretty, pretty please If you ever, ever feel
Like you're nothing You're fuckin' perfect to me.

"Jake," I heard a voice pull me out of my thoughts, as the song faded off. I looked up and realised Nessie was straddling my lap, her face just inches from mine. My heart started to beat so hard I thought it would jump out of my chest. I could hear her heartbeat quickening too, and her breathing hitched. The electricity between us was undeniable.

Her eyes darkened as she leaned in and gently touched her lips to mine. Then she parted her lips and deepened the kiss. I savoured the hot, sweet taste of her. Did Nessie just kiss me? Hell yeah, Nessie just kissed me! Yes, there IS a God! I thought my heart would burst from joy. Did this mean she loved me too?

"Jake, did you hear what I said?" her beautiful brown eyes twinkled as she smiled at me.

"Wha…?" I stammered, desperately hoping this wasn't just some dream. That would really suck. She pressed her hand to my cheek. I felt the connection open between us and something amazing burst through. Love - overwhelming, overpowering, pure, unconditional love.

"I said," she grinned, leaning into me again, "You're perfect. Fuckin' perfect. To me." And then I felt her soft mouth against mine.

And this time, I kissed my Ness back.

A/N - Update - Thank you so much for reading! I've also since written a Nessie POV version of this story too - it's called So Perfect, and is accessible from my profile. I'd really love it if you visited and let me know what you think!