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...
"MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!" Everybody shouted out in unison, joining in with Skye before she continued into the chorus.
I wrapped it up and sent it
With a note saying, "I love you,"
I meant it
Now I know what a fool I've been.
But if you kissed me now
I know you'd fool me again.
Last Christmas
I gave you my heart
But the very next day you gave it away.
This year
To save me from tears
I'll give it to someone special.
As Skye went into the second verse, Ian's Mom noted three things. The first, she couldn't sing to save her life. Second, it didn't matter. Third, her youngest Son was absolutely smitten.
Ian had not taken his eyes off of Skye since the song had started, his smile stretching from ear to ear as his girlfriend screeched out the lyrics one after the other. Skye belted out the words, not caring that she wasn't exactly Adele. She was having the time of her life. It was Christmas. She was in incredible company and had her amazing boyfriend watching her.
A face on a lover with a fire in his heart
A man under cover but you tore him apart
Maybe next year I'll give it to someone
I'll give it to someone special.
Special...
Someone...
"So what did you think?" Skye asked as the song came to and end, filled with genuine curiosity and hoping beyond hope that she'd managed to mask the fact that she had the voice of a strangled cat.
"Ummmm, Princess it was...."
"I'd stick to lip syncing," Rob broke out into laughter, the others struggling to keep their composure.
"You didn't like it?" Skye sighed, hanging her head and pretending that she was really upset. She knew she was terrible.
"Baby, it wasn't that it was bad. It...."
"Made my ears hurt," Ian's nephew Peyton interrupted, rubbing his temples and causing the whole group to burst out into fits with the faces he was making.
"Ok. Ok. I know I'm not Christina Aguilera but was it really that bad?" Skye asked, hands on hips and an over the top pout on her face.
"It was worse," Robyn cried from all the laughing.
"I guess I'll just have to stick to the modelling and acting then, huh?"
"I think that's a good idea Princess."
Half an hour later everybody had calmed themselves down and taken themselves off to bed. The whole family coming to the conclusion that this had been the funniest Christmas Eve they'd ever had.
Ian and Skye were cuddled up under the sheets, Ian's old childhood room luckily being big enough to hold a double bed.
In the darkness, all that could be heard was the occasional yawn, the pair slowly dozing off as they were wrapped in each other, Skye securely in place under Ian's arm with her head resting on his warm chest.
"I love your family," Skye suddenly said in a tired voice, shattering the silence.
"They love you too," Ian responded with a smile, his chin resting on the top of her head.
"Thank you for inviting me. I can't remember ever having a big family Christmas like this" she continued on, pushing herself even closer into his side.
"Well, it's going to be the first of many so you better get used to it," Ian grinned to himself, feeling blessed and fully convinced that he was the luckiest guy in the world.
"I think I can do that babe," Skye giggled, a weary yawn soon taking over.
"I love you Skye."
"I love you too."
Skye's hand reached out, finding his just through touch. When she got hold of it, she gave it a small squeeze and slowly drifted off into a contented sleep. Ian following only moments after.
(Dedicated to George Michael)