Watching the lead up to the fateful night in that tent, I really wonder how much of it was "something that just happened" or, rather, was something that each of them was kind of subconsciously working up to.
Today I saw in the leadup things which reminded me very much of my own first time.
In the Water Walking Jesus scene, Ennis lets the cat out of the bag with his "you may be a sinner but I ain't yet had the opportunity" comment.
The comment itself might have been a bit embarrassing for Ennis to divulge, although back in the rural early 60's being a virgin at 19 wasn't a big stigma. Ennis is more embarrassed than that would warrant...see how he looks away uncomfortably. That's because he meant something by it, and he realizes Jack picked up on it.
I think this shows that this sort of thing was on Ennis' mind and he was dropping hints, or thinking of dropping hints. (I did the same thing with my best friend at the age of 19, and one fateful night he finally picked up on my hint a la Jack.)
That scene leads into the dying campfire, probaby the same campfire. They both drank a lot, but this night Ennis drank so much as to not be able to go back to the sheep. (Very similar to my own experience...that night I got too drunk to drive home and stayed over at is parents house.)
Then Ennis stays and Jack says he's better off in the tent. Ennis stays at the fire. Why didn't they just both go right to to tent?
(a) What if I misread his signals? Maybe it's all in my head. It can't really be. Can it?
(b) I shouldn't do this. It's bad, it's wrong.
(c) But I really want to do this. But what if he freaks out? Or doesn't want it?
(d) F*ck it. I'll just sleep out here. Dammit all.
(I'm not sure if I'm writing about Wyoming 1963 or Wisconsin 1986)
Finally, as the night wears on, Jack (the experienced one, I'd guess) lies awake, finally thinking "screw it, I'm gonna make a move" and the wheels are in motion.
(Change the name from Jack to Mark and this part of the story fits too, only I was out sleeping on the floor of the rec room, not out by a campfire.)
Seeing the way these events flow so similar to mine 20 years ago leads me to think:
(1) Ennis wasn't launched unexpectedly into the physical aspect of Jack, where his deep and hidden longings were instantly unleashed much to his own surprise. No, i think Ennis was thinking about it, wondering about it. Maybe even dropping a hint or two. Perhaps not with his full awareness and self-admittance. Maybe he couldn't even name what it was he really was feeling, but I think it was there and not so far from the surface.
(2) I suspect that Ennis' comment about being virginal, and his reaction after uttering the words, really flipped the light on for Jack. I do think he had feelings for Ennis all along, but I wonder if perhaps Jack didn't have quite the same level of secret shameful longing and ache the way Ennis did. In part I think that can be attributed to Jack having already leaped that hurdle with another man before. Ennis' longing included the confusion, the worry, the anxiety of wondering if it was possible that ANY man could ever reciprocate his feelings. Jack on the other hand probably had real feelings for Ennis already, but it wasn't tied in with the "can any man love me" feelings. And if Jack didn't pick up on any signals before then, he might have wondered if he simply had a crush on an exclusively heterosexual man.
(3) When the light finally went on for Jack, and Ennis knew on some level he let the cat out of the bag, they semi-subconsciously both set things up for First Night In Tent to happen.
The more I think about this scene, the more the phrase "there are no accidents" comes to mind.
