Jack Twist had barely been asleep at all when first light struck up out of goddamned nowhere. Out of utter darkness there came a subtle blueing of the sky that just got brighter and brighter through the crack of the tent flap each time he blinked. He had himself wrapped up around Ennis like a corn husk and he had just started to appreciate the warmth that was made between them. He tried to reason with the sun in his mind for a few brief seconds.
'Goddamnit, can't you just be irregular this once and let a coupla cowboys sleep for a spell. Must be boring doin it the same way every day.' But there was no reasoning with the sun. So Jack just held Ennis a little tighter each second. Whether because of Jack's strangle hold, or because of the sunlight calling to him, Ennis tried to move away. Jack just pulled on him like he was holding on for dear life.
"Let up now, gotta get back to them sheep." Ennis grumbled at him, but Jack, being the stubborn-aim-straight-for-what-you-want type, just kept holding on. Ennis struggled just a little bit before his temper evidently snapped.
"GET OFF!" He roared, tearing Jack off of him.
Jack landed on the bedroll with a little thud and rolled to face the other way as Ennis left, letting a little gust of cold air in after him. He was as petulant as a scorned child, he'd just wanted a little peace and quiet after all that roughhouse from the night before and he didn't understand why Ennis didn't want the same.
Ennis was rifling through their provisions outside, from the sound of it. Jack decided to get up, he could sleep during the day while his friend was gone. He did up his pants, put on his fleece lined coat and got out of the tent. He buttoned the coat to fend off the chill that the light hadn't started chasing off yet. He watched Ennis getting his horse tacked for a moment before thinking of what to say to make him stay.
"I'll have breakfast ready in two-shakes. I'll do your dishes for ya so ya can get on the road quicker." Ennis might have hesitated for just a moment but if he did, Jack never saw it. He didn't figure out that the other was staying to eat until Ennis simply did not leave. They kept busy for the next fifteen minutes as the sun more fully proclaimed its ascent. Ennis tacked and groomed his horse. Jack made the fire, started the beans going, and hot water for coffee.
As soon as Ennis ate the last bean in his tin he got up to head out, so Jack fired a question at him.
"Why you in such a hurry to get back to the damned sheep anyhow? You can't save all of 'em." Jack was somewhat displeased because despite his chatting and asking questions, he'd gotten hardly a grunt from Ennis.
Ennis didn't bother turning around, "S'why we got hired, to look after the damn sheep."
Jack couldn't argue that so he just sat there and watched the fire die out. He imagined a sweet life, with a little ranch, just him and the one person he wanted beside him always. He imagined all the minutiae of that kind of life, a whole day, from rolling out of a warm bed, to drinking coffee with Ennis in cold kitchen, all a days work, and all the peace and fire of nightime. It took a few hours for all of the coals to go cold ath the camp. When they finally stopped smoking altogether, Jack finally stirred himself up from what had been a completely uninterrupted reverie. He tidied up camp for a few hours, washed the dishes, fixed the blankets inside the tent, etc. Before he knew it, it was getting to be time to get supper on the make.