Ian Somerhalder & Nikki Reed are officially dating: hot vampire romance?

Here are photos of Nikki Reed during a solo gym jaunt yesterday in LA. Where was her new workout pal, Ian Somerhalder? I’m guessing that Ian was experiencing some delayed onset muscle soreness after that Saturday run. The poor guy was suffering a bit. He needs some more appropriate footwear if he’s going to keep up with Nikki. It looks like Ian will be trying to do just that. Us Weekly received confirmation that Nikki and Ian are “officially dating.” It sounds like a new romantic relationship, but they’ve been friends for awhile. They run in the same social circle, which could explain why their dates seem more casual (farmers market, etc.) than formal at this point. A friend says they’ve been doing conventional dates too:

A match made in vampire heaven? Vampire Diaries‘ Ian Somerhalder and Twilight‘s Nikki Reed are officially dating, Us Weekly can exclusively confirm.

The new couple was spotted out together all weekend, first jogging side-by-side in Los Angeles on Saturday, July 19, then cuddling at the Studio City Farmer’s Market on Sunday, July 20. Somerhalder kept his arms around Reed, kissing her on the cheek several times.

“Nikki Reed and Ian Somerholder are dating,” a source tells Us, noting that the pair were spotted having dinner last week in the San Fernando Valley. The pair also grabbed a bite to eat at Kiwami in Studio City on Tuesday, July 15.

The pairing isn’t a huge surprise, as Somerhalder and Reed run in the same Hollywood circles and Somerhalder dated Reed’s Twilight costar Ashley Greene briefly back in 2009. Reed is also a close friend of Somerhalder’s famous costar ex-girlfriend Nina Dobrev — and, in fact, Dobrev and Reed both dated Dancing With the Stars’ Derek Hough. Derek was Reed’s first fling following her March split from husband Paul McDonald after two years of marriage.

[From Us Weekly]

That last paragraph is hilarious. Nikki and Nina Dobrev are indeed good friends. Derek Hough did briefly date both Nina and Nikki. What does Nina think of Nikki dating her long-time ex, Ian? There’s been no official word, but Nina covers the August issue of Nylon and says, “I don’t like any kind of negativity. I try to be good to everyone, whether it’s a love, a friend, an ex.” Ian popped into the interview to say they still share french fries or something. Weird.

This isn’t the first fellow vampire that Nikki has dated either. She and Sparkles were together during the first Twilight film. That was pre-Robsten, which seems so long ago. Nikki and Ian seem like a better fit, even if it’s only a summer romance.

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet & WENN

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