forursmiles:

Neil rarely smiles throughout the series and it isn’t until tkm that he smiles because he’s happy rather than in a self-deprecating way

The Foxhole Court

• “Neil, I work for the Foxes. None of you are okay. Chances are I’ve seen a lot worse than whatever it is you’re trying to hide from me.“ 
  Neil’s smile was humorless. “I hope not.”
• He swallowed against the edges of nausea and approached the nearest trucker with a smile on his face.
  “Good morning. I’m a sociology major, working on my summer project. Can I ask where you’re headed?”
  
• Andrew wasn’t smiling anymore, but Neil was. He felt it as it curved across his lips and knew it was a sick, ghastly expression. He dug his fingernails into his mouth, trying to claw the look off his face, but it was frozen in place.

The Raven King

• Neil hadn’t realized he was smiling too, a cruel look he’d inherited from his father. Neil lowered his cup so Riko could get a better look at it. “I would love to see you try. You think I’m afraid of your knife? I’m the Butcher’s son.”
• “You will kneel,” Tetsuji said. Neil had a feeling he was going to regret this for the rest of his very short life, but he smiled and said, “Make me.”
  
• “Neil?” All the gruff posturing left Wymack’s voice; that sharp edge was all alarm. “Are you all right?” Neil smiled. It felt like it tore his face open. “No. No, I’m not. I know it’s kind of sudden, but can you come get me? I’m at the airport.”
  

The King’s Men

• “You were expecting us to lose?” Dan asked.
  “No,” Neil admitted. His lips twitched, and he knew from the hard pull at his mouth that he was wearing his father’s smile. He pressed the side of his glove to his face, nearly crushing his teeth into his lips.
  
• “Ninety-two percent,” Andrew said, “going on ninety-three.”
  It wasn’t funny— none of this was— but that response was so obnoxious and so typically Andrew that Neil couldn’t help but smile.
  
• Andrew caught Neil’s eye and tipped his head toward the locker room. He was respecting Neil’s decision to stand alone and wouldn’t hover while Neil said his piece. Neil answered that trust with a small smile, and Andrew turned away.
  
• “Are you threatening a federal agent?” Nathaniel smiled so hard his burns ached. “I wouldn’t dare. What I should have said was: can you survive my family?”
  
• “You like it,” Neil said, unapologetic. “I like that you like it.”
  He bit down to prove his point and Andrew turned his head into it with a sharp hiss. Neil smiled where Andrew couldn’t see it. Maybe Andrew felt the twist of his lips against oversensitive skin, because he tangled his fingers in.
  
• Better than that bright future was what he already had: a court that would always be home, a family who’d never give up on him, and Andrew, who for once hadn’t wasted their time denying that this thing between them might actually mean something to both of them. Neil hadn’t even noticed the silence at first, too distracted by his dizzying thoughts. Now he couldn’t help but smile and pull Andrew in. This was everything he wanted, everything he needed, and Neil was never letting go.