Written because skivvysupreme had eye surgery today, and I'd never done Slushie Incident related fic - I didn't start writing til just before s5.

Kurt couldn't believe it had taken him almost three years to notice the little scar. Then again, Blaine had never let himself get quite so tan until that summer, so it hadn't really stood out as much until then.

"What are you fr- oh," he whispered, tracing over the tiny asterisk-shaped mark on the outside corner of Blaine's right eye. "The slushie."

Blaine snuffled in his sleep and scooted closer to Kurt, smiling and relaxing once he'd buried his face in Kurt's chest. Kurt ran a hand up and down his back, mostly content to have Blaine in his arms, but ever so slightly disgruntled by the mark.

Well, not by the mark exactly, he thought, unable to take his eyes off of it, even though he had to crane his neck uncomfortably since Blaine had changed positions. By the fact that it has to exist in the first place.

"Mmm," Blaine grunted, voice raspy with sleep. "Morning, baby."

"Good morning, sweetie," Kurt said, accepting the quick peck Blaine leaned up to give him.

"'Sweetie'?" Blaine repeated. "What's up?"

"Wh-"

"You never lead with a pet name unless you're feeling off about something," Blaine said matter-of-factly. "It's been over four years, Kurt, I know your tells. What's going on?"

"Nothing!" Kurt said, raising his eyebrows. When Blaine just gave him a dirty look, he continued, "Nothing recent, at least. I just noticed…."

"Noticed?"

"Your scar," Kurt said, feeling a bit sheepish. "I didn't realize you'd still have a mark there years later."

"Apparently the surgeon on duty wasn't great at finishing off their stitches yet," Blaine said, rubbing over the scar with the pad of his middle finger. "Most people wouldn't have a mark there, but my stitch got a little knotted up, so I've got a permanent scar now. At least it's not super obtrusive."

"It's cute - like a little star," Kurt said.

"But?" Blaine asked knowingly.

"I hate that it has to be there," Kurt said, letting out a long breath. "I'm not harboring resentment over it or anything, don't ever worry about that, but I just - I hate that Sebastian marked you up so permanently. I hate that you had to go through all that pain. And I hate - I hate that you pushed me out of the way."

Blaine gaped at him, looking like he was going to speak, but Kurt's words came out in a torrent.

"It wouldn't have hurt me as bad, I know it wouldn't have. I've always had a couple of inches on you, so maybe a little would've gotten in my eyes as it splashed off of me, but I had my arm up and my eyes closed anyways. The worst that would have happened would have been some light chemical burning - nothing that would have required major surgery and time off school. I would've been fine before you knew it, but you - you were out for a week, Blaine. You were screaming when they moved your arm away from your face to sedate you and I couldn't do anything about it. Why did you jump in front of me, you stupid, brave-"

"Kurt! Baby, breathe," Blaine interrupted finally, placing a hand against Kurt's chest like it was a snooze button. "I jumped in front of you because I saw that Sebastian was about to do something terrible to you, and I couldn't just let that happen. It was instinct."

"Instinct," Kurt repeated incredulously.

"Sure, maybe you would have been fine - or maybe you would've been just as bad as I was, or worse," Blaine said, not letting Kurt build up another head of steam. "You can play the what if game forever, Kurt - that doesn't make any of it true."

"I know. I know," Kurt said, shaking his head. "But that doesn't make me any less sad about the fact that you're marked for life because of me."

"I'm marked for life because of Sebastian, babe, not you - unless that whole scene was some kind of Freaky Friday situation," Blaine said, making Kurt snort. "And honestly, I'd take scars a thousand times larger and more noticeable if they meant you'd be right here beside me in our bed, where we're safe and warm."

"Sap," Kurt said, well aware that Blaine would see his watery eyes.

"Your sap," Blaine said with a smirk.

"I think my sap deserves some sap of his own," Kurt said, sitting up a little. "Pancakes and maple syrup sound good for breakfast? I'll make them - you just stay here and look cute."

"In a minute," Blaine replied. "I want to enjoy a lazy morning with my husband first."

"Sounds perfect," Kurt said, dropping back onto his side. He brushed a butterfly kiss along Blaine's scar before pulling him back into his arms, unable to keep from smiling. "Absolutely perfect."