Crush // Ian Somerhalder

48 - Real Life

Within hours of Skye and Ian arriving at the Somerhalder family home on Christmas Eve it was pretty clear that Ian's parents and siblings were falling in love with Skye just as fast as he had done.

Ian watched Skye all evening, laughing with his sister as his Mom showed her embarrassing baby pictures. Learning how to cook the dinner his Dad was preparing, her eyes glued intensely to the recipe. Picking out a film with his Mom and bonding over their shared hatred of Bad Santa. He just didn't get that one at all.

She caught him looking at her sometimes and he just smiled weakly, feeling his heart in his chest. She would poke her tongue out at him or scrunch her nose and he would laugh. He can't remember ever feeling this happy with someone. How had he managed without her?

Christmas Eve was drawing to a close, it was getting late and they were all in the living room laughing and talking. Ian scanned the room for Skye upon entering from the kitchen and found her immediately. He squeezed past his older brother Robert and tiptoed around his nephew and niece to plop down on the couch beside her.

The second Ian sat down Skye pulled herself out of an animated conversation with Ian's younger sister Robyn. He felt his heart catch in his throat as she smiled at him. Her hair falling gently down her back, freckles smattering her face, and her Christmassy red lips making him speechless.

"Hi you," Skye said. "Where'd you go?"

"Kitchen," Ian replied, indicating to the glass in his hand. "What were you guys talking about?"

"Well, your lovely girlfriend was telling us all about her amazing job. She's a keeper Ian," his sister in law Dena said with an impressed grin.

"Yeah, she's alright," Ian joked, scrunching his nose at his blushing girlfriend.

Not wanting Skye to feel uncomfortable and noticing that she seemed a little embarrassed, Ian's Mom Edna took it upon herself to begin proceedings on the annual Somerhalder Christmas Eve karaoke fest.

"Right guys, it's 11pm. That gives us an hour to get some karaoke in before I send you all off to bed."

"Mom, I'm not sure Skye is in to the whole karaoke thing," Ian voiced with frustration. It was bad enough that he got forced to do it every year, without his girlfriend being dragged into it. He was trying to impress her, not scare her away.

"Are you kidding? I love karaoke," Skye grinned, moving to the edge of her seat and clapping her hands together. Ok, maybe Ian was wrong.

Each family member took it in turn to sing their favourite Christmas song. Some did it alone, some did it in pairs. Ian took his turn with sister Robyn, their rendition of Fairytale Of New York by The Pogues, leaving everyone in the room struggling to contain their laughter.

Skye was up next, deciding to try it out on her own. Their was only one song that came to mind when she took her place in front of everyone by the fire. You would have thought that she'd be nervous, she only met them that day. It would be understandable. Not Skye though. Ian's entire family had made her feel so welcome, so included. There was no reason for her to be nervous. They didn't judge her. She'd already been accepted as one of them.

"What do you want to sing honey?" Ian's Dad, Robert Sr asked her as he was loading up the track lists on the karaoke machine.

"Only the best Christmas song of all time."

"Which is?" Ian laughed, bowled over by how excited his girl seemed to be.

"Last Christmas by Wham. Duh."

..........

Once bitten and twice shy
I keep my distance
But you still catch my eye.
Tell me, baby,
Do you recognize me?
Well, it's been a year,
It doesn't surprise me...