I was a late bloomer of the novelty sort as you put it. I was very awkward around women and couldn't seem to help doing some dick move.

What I didn't realize was that being a virgin at that age can be an asset. I was hanging out in the friend zone one day (somehow in spite of being a dick I had women friends) and shame-facedly admitted to my friend, who I did in fact want to fuck but had given up, that I was a virgin. She wanted to fuck me right away.

I think in my case it was fear. Fear of not measuring up, of making a complete ass of myself. Fear of making an ass of oneself pretty much guarantees that you will make an ass of yourself, but somehow it all went well and I was off to the races. She was in important ways a complete nut case but I owe her for sure.