Note: Spoilers for "Guardians of Vanaheim." If you don't know what happened in that ep, then you won't be able to follow this. Go ahead and watch it. The fic will still be here.
Version 1: Hookfang Gets It Worse
With a last encouraging goodbye, Astrid and Hiccup fly off into the storm to execute their plan.
"I thought they'd never leave," Snotlout breathes. It's not that he doesn't want them there – it's that Hookfang's holding back, not showing his pain for fear of appearing weak in front of their leader. Although he has a hunch Toothless knows: he didn't stop nuzzling Hookfang all the time they were there, and Snotlout is grateful for that. "How you holding up, Hooky?" He steps up close to Hookfang's head, hand finding the little indentation between his eye-bulbs that Hookfang loves so much. Snotlout rubs the place gently, then more firmly. Hookfang tries to purr, but it's choked off as a tremor takes him. "Easy. Easy, big boy." Snotlout grabs Hookfang's horns and turns his head sideways, pinning him to the wooden floor. Hookfang looks at him gratefully as he shudders. Snotlout has known about this trick to calm a Nightmare since he was young, but he never had any clue why it worked until he saw Hookfang do it with his hatchlings and they calmed down at once, purring and falling asleep with big, beatific smiles.
Hookfang's shudders subside, but he looks deep into Snotlout's eyes, begging to be held down a little longer. Snotlout looks back into the big yellow eyes and shivers a little with… with the residual tremors from the lightning. "Hooky?" he coaxes. He holds Hookfang's horns tight. "Go ahead. Let it out. It's okay. It's just us. I won't tell anyone."
Hookfang rests his head on the floor and lets out a low, anguished groan. It seems torn from his very heart, vibrating through Snotlout's body, and it makes Snotlout's heart ache. "Ah, Hookfang." He kneels by Hookfang's head, running his hands down his horns to caress his eye-bulbs and wrap an arm around his snout. "I know it hurts. I know."
Hookfang moans softly, shuddering all over. Snotlout holds him tight. "I'm here. I'm right here with you. I'm here." He starts rocking gently back and forth. Another residual tremor racks the dragon's body, and Snotlout leans in close and hums in Hookfang's ear. "Listen to me. Just relax. Deep breaths, okay? I won't let anything hurt you. I've got you, Fangster. I'm here."
He hears Hookfang drag in a deep, shaky breath. "That's it. That's it. Come on. You can do it." The dragon's chest vibrates with the start of a purr, but it breaks off again in a violent tremor. "Hey, Hooky, don't do too much too soon. You know lightning can mess with your heart." He has a thought. "Can you curl up a little? So I can be here," he tightens his grip on Hookfang's head, "and still reach the rest of you?" He gestures to his friend's torso.
It takes a couple of tries, Snotlout helping to drag Hookfang's head closer to his midsection as he curls up. Finally he does. Lightning strikes at the heart, he remembers Fishlegs saying from the first time he and Hookfang were hit. Still keeping one arm wrapped around Hookfang's snout, he leans back against Hookfang's side, then turns sideways to lay his cheek against his friend's heart. The strong, slow beat reassures him—but then it stutters, and Snotlout's own heart seems to stop. "No, no, no, shh," he chokes. "Easy, Hookfang. Don't move. Just let me take care of it." He lifts his hand to Hookfang's heart and starts to rub his chest there in slow, firm circles. "Breathe slow. Remember what Fishlegs told us."
Snotlout's breath catches as Hookfang curls closer and lays his head in his lap.
"Oh… kay," he breathes, unable to help the hitch in his voice. There's so much trust in that simple gesture, trust Snotlout isn't sure he's done anything to earn. "Just keep…" He draws in a long, shuddery breath. "Just keep breathing. Nice and easy now." His hand's nestled in between Hookfang's eye-bulbs again, scratching and stroking. Hookfang's chin is warm and pleasantly heavy across Snotlout's knees. Snotlout hefts Hookfang's head a little closer so his own chest and belly are pressed against Hookfang's face as Snotlout's hand keeps massaging his heart. Then his breath stops all over again when Hookfang tilts his head into Snotlout's body, looking up at him with wide, trusting eyes.
For a long moment, Snotlout can't speak. He cradles Hookfang's head close and rocks him, his own cheek still pressed protectively to Hookfang's heart, the sound of his heartbeat a caress in Snotlout's ear. "Twinkle, twinkle, little flame…" he manages to croon, half-whispering still. "How I wonder what's your name…"
A purr starts up, rumbling deep in Hookfang's chest. It putters out, but Snotlout just keeps caressing his friend's head and his heart. "Up above the world so high, Like a fireplace in the sky…"
The purr starts up again, stutters, stops. Snotlout continues with his lullaby, then starts a second, and a third. By the fourth, Hookfang's purr has started up again, steady and strong, rumbling through his chest into Snotlout's hand and head, and through his chin into Snotlout's knees and belly and chest, easing Snotlout's own residual tremors from the shock of the lightning-strike.
Snotlout keeps singing till Hookfang falls asleep. His heartbeat has been regular for a while now, but Snotlout won't risk letting him move before he's rested to recover from the shock. They're in the middle of a battle, and war still rages outside their little sanctuary. But Hookfang is hurt and needs to be cared for. And in this moment, nothing else matters.