"Aish," Jungkook hissed. 

His muscles seized sharply, as Hoseok poured rubbing alcohol on the wound that had penetrated his shoulder.

"Hold still," Hoseok instructed, plying the short but deep incision open with a pair of tweezers.

He really should have been at a hospital, but desperate times called for desperate measures. The depleted bathroom of the abandoned warehouse was the best they had. The water still ran, and the lighting wasn't too bad either, so Hoseok made do.

"Mother fucker, fuck-" he cursed out as the man behind him rummaged in the open flesh, until the tweezers clanged soundlessly against metal. The interaction pushed the debris further into Jungkook and caused him to wail again, swearing like a sailor.

"Got it," Hoseok gently removed the tip of a blade and threw it down into the sink, painting the white porcelain red with blood. It had gotten dislodged in Jungkook's shoulder during a raid gone wrong and he wasn't happy about it.

Some jumped up Hae Pa street dogs based in Daegu had caught wind of the dealings going down that day and came to join in. They were young, concerningly young, and didn't have a fucking clue how to behave in such an environment.

It would have been alright, had they not been total fucking idiots.

They saw Jungkook's custom Tom Ford suit and instantly decided that there was no way he could have been Hae Pa. Stupid fuckers knew exactly who he was by the time he'd finished bashing their pea-sized brains together.

"Think we must dress better than whoever they're working under," Hoseok snickered, slightly amused by it all. The young street dogs had been sent away with their tails between their legs, with a firm warning not to cross their superiors again.

The damage Jungkook had inflicted on them had been minimal, more scare tactics than anything. They were only kids.

"Whoever recruited them needs culling," Jungkook grimaced. Having joined the Pa at a young age, it was something he wouldn't inflict on anyone else. He did his fair share of fucked up things, but at least he had a conscience.

"We both know that ain't never gonna happen," his friend muttered, acknowledging precisely who had recruited them.

Too young for tattoos, they were wearing dog tags, emblazoned with whatever pretentious code-name they had chosen for themselves and the borderline psychotic engraving: 'Property of The Breeder.'

"You reckon they'll report back, or be too embarrassed to tell him what they did?" Jungkook queried, curious of Hoseok's opinion.

Rummaging through their scantily packed first aid kit, Hoseok made a note to restock, as he searched for something to dress the wound with. Really, Jungkook needed stitches, but there was no way he was missing the last ferry to Ulleungdo. A bandage would have to do.

"Oh, they'll tell him, alright," Hoseok nodded. "Firstly, they're stupid as fuck. Secondly, I bet he's told them stories about you and how you 'betrayed' us all, so they'll probably win some brownie points."

"Brilliant," Jungkook rolled his eyes at Hoseok's sarcastic tone. "Mother fuckers. At least it made my last assignment one for the history books... Made it memorable."

"Mate, you're gonna have a two-inch scar in your shoulder for the rest of your life, how much more memorable do you want?!"

Jungkook smirked, turning in the mirror to try and get a good look at the cut. It was still bleeding, but nothing he hadn't been able to handle before. It felt like an inconvenience more than anything.

Interruptions aside, business had gone well today. They'd found the rat in their distribution line in the eastern provinces and had reprimanded him accordingly. Despite the trickling stab wound in his back, most of the blood on Jungkook didn't actually belong to him - and that was a win in his eyes.

"I'll leave you to get changed," Hoseok nodded after patching him up. "I'll meet you by the cars."

Jungkook wasted no time rustling through his leather duffle bag. It had all he needed for an overnight stay - the rest of his essentials were in the trunk of his 1968 e-type Jaguar that sat proudly outside the depot.

Driving separately from Hoseok to allow for his onward journey, Jungkook had to use the only car Saffy didn't know about. He was almost positive that she had bugged all the others, or at least put trackers on them, but this one? This was his pride and joy. There was no way anyone was touching that beauty.

He had spent the last year working on it in private, restoring it bit by bit. Its ascot fawn paint job was immaculate, the muted almond tone complimenting the tan leather interior. Even Hoseok, who didn't care much for classic cars, gave a whistle when he first saw it.

Trunk space was, however, limited. Jungkook had hurriedly bundled together clothes, documents and electronics that he deemed essential, with a few tokens from 32b. He said goodbye to Jin's room and closed the door definitively, not knowing when he would return - if ever.

His shoulder throbbed as he pulled a dark shirt over his head, swapping his designer suit for something a little more inconspicuous. Assessing his reflection, Jungkook breathed heavily. 

This was it.

He was really doing this.

"Look at you, Casanova," Hoseok taunted him playfully as Jungkook made his way out of the derelict building and swung his leather bag into the passenger seat of his car.

Jungkook stuck his middle finger up, but couldn't stop the smile from revealing his genuine emotions.

"I think Casanova would have been horrified at the idea of running away from high society for the sake of love," Jungkook laughed. He was no Casanova. He only had eyes for Hana.

"When did you get so smart, kid?" Hoseok mused, looking at him with pride.

There was going to be a hell of a lot of explaining to do when he got back to Seoul, but he'd figure that out on his way home. For now, he just wanted to be happy for Jungkook.

"Around about the time I stopped listening to you," Jungkook teased him right back. He felt light as a feather, the weight of the world off his shoulders for the first time in years.

"Careful, or I'll tell Saffy where you're going," grinned Hoseok, knowing he never would.

"Don't you dare," Jungkook threatened, yanking the door of his car open and sinking into the leather, rolling his window down. "Hana's got my old burner phone. If you need me, call it. I'll keep it charged," Jungkook promised. He knew Hoseok was risking his own safety by helping him, and he could never repay him enough.

"Stay safe out there, kid. I'll miss you," Hoseok glowed with sad eyes.

"Hobi?" Jungkook asked for permission to talk, for no reason other than to stall himself. He didn't quite know how to say goodbye.

"Mm?" he mumbled, opening his own car door.

"You're worth more than the rest of those fuckers combined. I mean it."

A smile crept onto Hoseok's lips, not used to receiving compliments from Jungkook.

"Fuck off before I kill you for being too soft."

His laugh echoed in Jungkook's mind for the entire drive. He knew his one regret would be leaving Hoseok - but it wouldn't have compared to the regret of not leaving at all.

a/n:

If you want a visual on the car, search "Ascot fawn e-type" - I'm on my phone and too lazy to add a picture but they're gorgeoussss x