He doesn’t need to show Phillip anything, not really- even if he won’t admit it, he knows just how much he’s willing to give, and the answer is everything he’d want and more. The only reason he hasn’t openly helped out before is that Gustavain didn’t ask. Even before he’s fully made up his mind he would have said yes, and did plenty in the background to supply help that couldn’t be traced to him. Had this happened earlier, it may have been harder to accept, more difficult to give up control, but in this moment? The vulnerability feels easy.

He tips his head down, the scent of blood mingling strongly with the smell of the oil and that should be far more disconcerting than it is. His arms are still braced against the ground to at least keep his face out of the dirt as much as possible, but even if Gustavain pushes him further he won’t fight it. For the moment he’s quiet, breathing ragged and seeming to just try and clear his head.