Author's note: Yeah, I decided to rewrite my first one-shot bc i didn't like it, so..It's my real first one-shot! (Gif aren't mine, I took it from Pinterest)
OTP: KITT x Non-binary!Flag Agent!Reader x Michael Knight(my favorite fictional love triangle lol)
Fandom: Knight Rider(1982)
Warnings: none, except for mentioning of stress and bit of OOC(kisses and petnames from Michael isn't a warning tho-)
11:42 PM, highway on the way back to the FLAG Mobile Unit, somewhere in Nevada
Or so it seemed only to you and Michael, because in reality the mission took less than a week. Four days, to be precise. But these four days were too overwhelming and chaotic, to be honest.
KITT had already noticed how tired you and Michael were, and it really bothered him, even though he didn't want to admit that he felt emotions. He was just a computer in a car, after all. He can't feel emotions.
"[Name], Michael." His voice immediately woke you both up. "I couldn't help but notice that you both have alarmingly high cortisol levels, and you haven't slept for forty-eight hours. That's not good for your bodies, especially, to your immune and cardiovascular system."
You didn't answered immediately, only after some pause. Your brain felt like it no longer had the strength to move the gears of thought to answer. "We're fine, KITT..Don' worry about us."
"You both are objectively not fine."
"Michael." KITT interrupted him, but not in a rude way. It wasn't your KITT, he usually was more patient, even if someone was annoying him. "Please, don't argue, you're only wasting your energy."
That tone. Gentle, soft, caring, but stubborn. Like he was.. Worried. You blinked slowly, your foggy mind latching on this anomaly like a hungry snake on its food. Wait..Since when KITT use that tone? Since when did he sound.. that worried?
Michael's protest died in his mouth. He just sighed, leaning his head again headrest on driver’s seat. "Where are we, buddy?"
The screen on the dashboard scrolled across the map until it landed on a moving red dot on the map with a beep-beep-beep sound. It was the three of you. Of course.
"Approximately forty-six minutes from the Mobile Unit at our current speed, Michael." KITT said. "However.."
You and Michael frowned at these words, confused.
"I am recalculating the route," KITT clicked himself on Auto-Pilot mode. The miles per hour numbers kept getting smaller and smaller. 65. 60. 55. 50. 45. His engine purred softly like a well-fed cat. "Estimated time of arrival: three hours and twenty seven minutes."
Michael blinked, then sat up straight and blinked again. "Three hours? KITT, we're only forty-six minutes away. Did you take a wrong turn or somethin'?"
"I didn't take a wrong turn, Michael. I'm taking the scenic route."
That made you laugh. A real, surprised laugh that felt like it came from nowhere. "KITT, you don't even have eyes. You can't see the scenery."
"You're wrong, I can see it with my cameras. But I like the slower speed limits, the smoother roads, and the much lower chance of running into other cars," KITT replied, sounding protective. He didn't want anything to happen to you both because of him. "Plus, the longer route means we can slow down more gently, which is better for passengers who have small injuries and haven't gotten enough sleep."
Michael turned to you, raising an eyebrow. His look said, "Did our car just call us hurt and tired and won't get us home faster?"
Your look said, "Yes. Yes, he did."
Then, your look softened and said, "Isn't that sweet?"
Michael's face showed a mix of things: fondness, tiredness, and a rare vulnerability he usually hid, unless he was too tired to bother.
"Are you worrying about us, KITT?" Michael asked, his accent making the word sound warm and slow.
"Absolutely not," KITT said, maybe too fast. "I'm a very advanced AI. I don't worry. I just figure out the chances and change direction if I need to."
"Mhm." Michael leaned back in his seat, but kept his eyes open. He reached over and put his hand on the gear shift. Not to use it, just to feel the cool metal and KITT's soft hum under his palm. "It's okay if you do, you know. Worry about us."
"I don't- " KITT paused, a tiny static sound. "I just notice that you both tend to put your missions ahead of your own health. That's not worrying. That's just observing."
You smiled, eyes already closing. KITT's engine vibration felt warm and soothing, like a blanket fresh from the dryer. "Observation with feelings."
"Observations can't have feelings. Feelings are just chemical reactions to things outside. I don't have- "
"KITT." Michael's voice was gentle, almost teasing. "Buddy. Pal. You just changed a forty-six minute drive into three and a half hours so we could 'slow down gently.' That's not worrying. That's love."
The silence after that was really loud.
You opened one eye to look at KITT's voice modulator, those three red lines that pulsed when he spoke. They were flickering faster than usual, almost like he was blushing.
"I can't love," KITT finally said. "I'm an advanced computer system in a Knight Industries Two Thousand prototype. Love is a human thing that doesn't apply to- "
"Baby," Michael cut in, the nickname sounding so natural. KITT's voice modulator flickered even faster. "You can say you don't love us all you want. We know better."
KITT stopped talking for a moment.
The highway stretched ahead, dark and empty, lit only by KITT's headlights and the stars on the big, big sky. A coyote yipped in the distance, but the sound quickly faded into the soft hum of the engine and the tires on the asphalt.
Michael unbuckled his seatbelt.
"What are you- " you started, but then he slid across the seat to you. Suddenly, his warm body was pressed against your side, an arm around you, pulling you in until your head was on his chest.
"Michael, you need to buckle up again," KITT said, but his voice was soft-spoken, less sure. "The chance of injury goes way up if we have to stop suddenly or- "
"We're on auto-pilot," Michael said, resting his chin on your head. His heart beat slow and steady under your ear. "And you're driving. You're the safest car in the world, right?"
You probably should have said something. You should have sat up, buckled your own seatbelt, and acted like a goddamn responsible FLAG agent, not cuddling with your partner and your smart car-boyfriend on a long desert highway.
But Michael was warm like a furnace. He smelled like gunpowder and cheap coffee, and something else that was just him. His fingers traced slow patterns on your shoulder, up your neck, into your hair.
"There you go," he murmured, his voice rumbling against your chest. "I've wanted to do this all night. All mission, really. You just kept moving, kept talking, kept being so brave and capable, and I kept thinking, " He kissed the top of your head. "thinking about how much I wanted to wrap you up and keep you safe like a precious kitten you are."
"Michael." Your voice was muffled against his soft, worn leather jacket. You felt the solid weight of his arm around you. "We're on a mission."
"You're on my lap, sweetheart. Work can wait."
That made you laugh again, and Michael smiled. You could hear it in his voice when he spoke, softer now, his lips brushing your temple.
"Besides," he said, "KITT's taking the scenic route. We have three hours. Plenty of time for- "
His hands slid to your thighs, his thumb rubbing slow circles on your cargo pants. It wasn't suggestive, just comforting. It said: I'm here. You're safe. I've got you.
"For what?" you asked, already knowing.
Michael leaned in, pressing his forehead against yours. His breath was warm on your lips, sweet with coffee and chocolate. "For this."
It wasn't a rushed kiss, or one for a quick goodbye when you had a mission to finish. It was slow and sweet. His hand cupped your jaw, thumb brushing your cheekbone, and he kissed you like you were precious, like he couldn't believe you were real.
When he pulled back, you were both breathing a little harder. KITT's dashboard was flickering so fast it looked like a broken firefly lights.
"If you two are quite finished," KITT said, his voice cracking on the last word. An AI's voice, cracking. "I should point out that showing affection in moving cars is usually not a good idea, and also, I'm watching."
Michael grinned against your mouth. "You're always watching, KITT."
You turned in Michael's arms, not pulling away, but facing the dashboard. You saw the three red lines pulsing erratically. KITT's scanner bar swept across the front of the car, faster than usual, like a nervous heartbeat.
"For taking care of us." You reached out, fingers brushing the voice modulator. The plastic felt smooth and cool. "For driving slow. For pretending you don't care when you clearly do."
You leaned forward and kissed the voice modulator's screen.
Right there, on those three red lines, your lips warm on the cool surface.
KITT's systems made a sound you'd never heard. A stutter, a glitch. Something that almost sounded like a startled gasp. In a good way, of course.
"I- " he started, stopped, then started again. "You- that is-"
Michael was laughing silently behind you, his chest shaking against your back, his arms tight around your waist. "Did our car just stutter?"
"I don't stutter," KITT said, and he definitely stuttered. "My voice processors are working fine. I'm just- there's a small delay because- uh- you kissed my voice modulator."
"You kissed my voice modulator," Michael repeated, no longer trying to hide his laughter. "KITT, buddy, are you blushing?"
"I can't blush. I don't have blood vessels or anything like that or- "
"You're blushing with your voice."
"Your temperature just went up two degrees," you pointed out, still smiling and pressed against the dashboard, tracing the voice modulator with your eyes like you might kiss it again. "KITT, are you embarrassed? Really?"
"I'm having a system change that has nothing to do with that- "
Then, very quietly, so quietly you almost missed it: "..I'm NOT adorable."
"You're adorable," Michael agreed, pulling you back against his chest and kissing your cheek. "You're our adorable, overprotective, emotionally guarded car, and we love you."
The dashboard lights dimmed a bit. The scanner bar slowed. KITT's voice, when it spoke again, was almost a whisper.
"..You both should sleep. The route is set, and I'll wake you when we get there."
Michael's arms tightened around you. His face pressed into your hair. You felt him relax bit by bit, the tension from forty-eight hours finally easing up from his muscles.
"Stay with us?" you asked, eyes still closed. "While we sleep?"
"I'm the car. I'm always with you."
"That's not what I meant."
Another pause. The scanner bar swept back and forth. The engine hummed.
"I'll keep an eye on your sleep patterns," KITT finally said. "And adjust the car's temperature. I'll also make sure neither of you have nightmares about the mission's rough parts. I've already set a reminder for Bonnie to follow up on it."
"That's very sweet," Michael mumbled, already half-asleep.
"It's not sweet. It's standard procedure."
The desert went by. The stars wheeled overhead. KITT drove slower than needed, on a longer road, with his two favorite humans curled up in his front seat, finally feeling safe.
Epilogue as a bonus ♡3:09 AM, FLAG Mobile Unit, parked outside Las Vegas
Bonnie Barstow had been pacing for the last hour.
Devon Miles stood by the computers of the Mobile Unit, his hands clasped behind his back. He had a careful, neutral look, clearly trying hard not to show how worried he was.
"They were supposed to be back by midnight," Bonnie said for the seventh time. "Midnight, Devon. It's three in the morning."
"Perhaps they ran into unexpected delays."
"For three hours? On a forty-six minute drive?" Bonnie stopped pacing, ran a hand through her hair, and glared at the desert through the open door for KITT to drive in. "I've been trying to reach KITT for the last hour. He's not answering."
Devon's expression flickered, just slightly. "That's concerning."
"Concerning? Concerning?! Devon, Michael and [Name] haven't slept in two days, they're running on adrenaline and coffee, and now KITT isn't answering- "
Bright flip-up headlights appeared on the horizon.
Bonnie was at the door before KITT had even stopped moving, Devon close behind her. Both were ready to demand explanations, to yell about rules and safety and how important it was to check in-
KITT pulled into the Mobile Unit's bay.
His engine barely made a sound as he rolled to a stop. His lights - usually bright, usually sweeping - were dimmed to almost nothing. The scanner bar moved slow and gentle across the front, casting soft red shadows on the trailer's metal floor.
KITT's window rolled down, just a crack.
And KITT spoke, not over the outside speakers, not at full volume, but in something barely above a whisper.
"You will need to be quiet," he said. His voice was so soft, so careful, so tender that Bonnie and Devon both froze mid-step. "They're sleeping."
Bonnie peered through the window.
Michael was in the driver's seat. No, he was sprawled across the driver's seat and halfway onto the passenger side, his jacket draped over something in his arms. It took Bonnie a moment to realize what she was seeing.
Michael had you wrapped in his leather jacket, curled against his chest like you weighed nothing at all. One of his hands was buried in your hair. The other was pressed flat against KITT's dashboard, fingers spread, as if even in sleep he needed to be touching the car. Your face was tucked into the hollow of his throat, and both of you were breathing slow and even, undisturbed, peaceful, like a sleeping kittens.
Michael's eyes were closed, but Bonnie knew that kind of stillness. That was the stillness of someone who hadn't been sleeping, who had been keeping watch, who had only just allowed himself to rest once he was sure his partner was safe.
KITT's scanner bar pulsed once, sharply.
"How long?" Bonnie whispered, not quite sure why, except that KITT had asked her to, and KITT never asked for anything.
"Three hours and twenty-seven minutes,Bonnie, " KITT whispered back. "I took the scenic route."
Bonnie's eyebrows rose. "The scenic route?"
"They needed to rest. And Michael needed.." A pause. Static, soft as a sigh. "He needed to hold them. And they needed to be held. And I needed- " Another pause. "I decided the most efficient use of our time was a longer drive with reduced speeds and minimal outside distractions."
And Devon Miles - stiff, proper, British Devon Miles - smiled. Just a little.
"Well done, KITT," he murmured.
KITT's scanner bar flickered, almost like a pleased flush.
"I was simply following protocol," he said, a bit flustered by a simple approval. "The Foundation's agents are assets that require maintenance and care. I was performing routine preservation."
"Of course you were," Bonnie said, and she reached out to pat KITT's hood, gentle as a mother checking her child's temperature. "Of course you were."
Michael stirred, just barely. His arms tightened around you, and he made a soft, sleepy sound - something content, something safe - and then settled again.
KITT dimmed his dashboard lights even further.
"I will maintain cabin temperature and monitor their vitals until they wake naturally," he said quietly. "I recommend that you both also should rest. You're both unlikely to be much good tomorrow if you don't get some sleep too."
Bonnie opened her mouth to argue.
"Bonnie." KITT's voice went impossibly softer. "Please."
Somewhere in the darkness of the Mobile Unit bay, a black Trans Am kept watch over his sleeping humans, and pretended that he didn't have a heart.
He did, though. It was made of circuits and processors with wires. And right then, it was full to bursting with love.
/ᐠ > ˕ <マ ₊˚⊹♡ Thanks for reading it pookies!!
