“Rainbow Dash, how in the heck are ya not up yet, ya lazy varmint?”

Rainbow scrunched her face and dug further into the pillow, flicking her tail at Applejack. “Oh, lay off; I was up half the night. Or don’t you remember?” She flicked her tail again, away from her backside, and lifted a thigh, giving Applejack a nice view. She cracked an eye open, smirking as she watched her marefriend take in the sight.

“If you remember, I was there for it. Now put that away; you’re makin’ me hungry.” Applejack turned and crossed the room towards the loft steps, hefting a fallen pillow on her back leg and bucking it straight into Rainbow’s face.

Giggling, she batted it away and sat up, stretching out her limbs. “Oh, come on, AJ, we got time for a pre-meal meal if you’re quick about it.”

“How romantic,” Applejack deadpanned. “And we’re supposed to be at Sugarcube Corner in ten minutes.”

“Oh.” Her eyes jumped to the clock and she winced. “Damn, I really did sleep in.” She ran a hoof through her mane and front flipped off the bed, spreading her wings and flying up to Applejack. “You and Twi just really knocked me out, I guess.”

Applejack smirked and shot back a wink. “Lightweight.” She headed down the stairs before Rainbow could respond.

“Lightweight?! Hey!” She zoomed after Applejack, landing on her marefriend’s back as they reached the lower loft. Hooking all four legs around her middle, she found the best tickling spots from memory.

“It’s so dang adorable, Dash,” Applejack goaded, already laughing. “Ya come like the first one done wins the race!”

“Oh, like I’m ever done after the first.” She wiggled her hooves, grinning as her lover’s cackles spiked an octave. “Hey, if we didn’t have that big lunch to get to, we could race.”

Applejack bucked her back legs, sending Rainbow sailing off. She caught her balance midair and flipped around to exchange a grin with her marefriend. Applejack straightened back up and regained her breath before heading towards the stairs. “I’m up for a race afterwards. You talkin’ through the woods or through the sheets, hot shot?”

“How about one, then the other? Twi can time us, then join us, then time us, then join us again.”

Snorting, Applejack shook her head as they hit the main floor of the library, aiming for the sounds of cooking in the kitchen. Twilight moved fluidly through the room as she took pans off the heat, combining sauces, noodles, and veggies in a large dish on the counter. Without looking up, she asked, “Did you get her up, or should I go turn the bed upside-down?”

“I’m up, I’m up! Geeze, can’t a girl sleep for, like, nine hours—”

“Twelve,” Twilight corrected.

“Twelve hours without—okay, damn, did I really sleep for twelve hours?” She landed with a clatter, shaking her head. “Did you two drug me?”

Applejack chuckled and shoulder-checked her. “Lightweight.”

“It’s okay, Rainbow, you were being very acrobatic last night.” Twilight shot her a smoky glance and went back to the cooking, floating the cookware into the sink and laying a towel over the finished dish. “Everypony ready?”

Applejack grunted. “Lemme grab my pie from the fridge.”

Rainbow shrugged, crossing her legs and leaning against the table. “Hey, you guys are the cooks. All I gotta do is show up.” Twilight and Applejack exchanged an amused glance. “I still don’t know why we’re doing this now. If we waited a few days, we’d be able to do it outside.”

Twilight floated the dish over her head and grabbed the pie off Applejack’s back in her aura, turning towards the doorway. “Well, Pinkie wanted one last hurrah before winter’s over, plus there was some other reason she wasn’t clear about.”

“Yeah, I guess.” She followed after Twilight, Applejack falling into step next to her. “I’ve just been…enjoying winter.”

“Ain’t been all sunshine, lightnin’ butt.”

She bumped her side into Applejack. “Well, no, it’s snowed a lot, cider butt.”

Sighing, Twilight slung a scarf around her neck from the peg by the door. “Those silly names. Thank Celestia you haven’t given me one.”

“Actually…” Rainbow exchanged a wicked smirk with Applejack as they filed out into the snowy street while Twilight locked up.

“Oh, shoot!” Twilight exclaimed, her surprise a bit too even to be genuine. “I forgot to get the light, hold on—”

Applejack caught her back leg. “Already got it, and ya ain’t gettin’ outta hearin’ the name.”

Twilight groaned, turning the deadbolt and then walking ahead of them, angling down the hill towards Sugarcube Corner. “…What is it?”

“Smack butt!” the two shouted, swatting either side of her flank with a hoof. Twilight shrieked, almost dropping the pie and noodles to the ground. Applejack and Rainbow fell into each other in laughter.

Twilight coughed as she pulled herself up straight and tall, adjusting her scarf beneath her blush. “How long have you two been waiting to do that?”

Rainbow’s snickers tapered off and she winked. “Months.”

Shaking her head and giggling despite herself, Twilight turned back to the road. “Crazy to think it has been months. Time’s both flown and crawled by, hasn’t it?” Applejack and Rainbow sped their pace, pressing in on either side of Twilight and sandwiching her in a nuzzle. “Mmm. It’s been nice, though. I’d say it was like a vacation, even though it really wasn’t.”

Rainbow nodded against her cheek. “Yeah, vacations have a lot more booze.”

Chuckling, Applejack reached over Twilight and flicked Rainbow’s ear with a hoof. “It’s just been…life. Lotta it good, some of it bad, workin’, relaxin’…”

“A lot of banging,” Rainbow added, earning another flick. She opened her wing and tickled Applejack’s side with her primaries.

Twilight slowed her pace as their destination came into view. Her marefriends stopped with her, standing in the middle of the street. They pulled away a step to look at her. She glanced from one to the other, nerves coloring her expression. “So, uh…it’s…getting close to when we said we’d see where we stood, isn’t it?”

Sighing and rolling her eyes, Rainbow smirked at Twilight. “Always gotta ruin the mood talking about stuff, huh?”

“Oh, yes, because not talking about ‘stuff’ worked so well, Rainbow.” Twilight stuck out her tongue. Rainbow blew a raspberry back.

“Ain’t no reason not to talk about it. ‘Less I been readin’ the both of ya real wrong, everypony’s pretty dang happy with things the way they are right now.” The smugness dropped out of her grin, her expression completely sincere. “I know I am.”

“I dunno,” Rainbow teased. “I could do without how damn early you get up.”

“I could do without your snorin’.”

Twilight giggled, swatting them both with her tail. “I don’t think anypony’s looking to end this arrangement. It’s just…Applejack, how has it been getting into the farm in the mornings?”

“It’s alright, I guess.”

Twilight smiled and shook her head. “Applejack…”

Sighing, she pushed her Stetson back on her forehead. “Okay, yeah, it ain’t been the best. I’m either late gettin’ to work an’ have to rush, or I don’t get no breakfast. I’ve tried gettin’ up earlier, but I’m already beatin’ Celestia as it is, an’ I can’t stay on the farm much later’n I do every day. Ain’t like there’s a bunch a’ lights; when the sun goes down, that’s all I got.”

Twilight nodded solemnly. “I thought so.”

A wave of panic crashed around Rainbow. Puffing out her wings, she rounded on the two of them. “So? So that’s it?!”

They stared back at her in confusion. After a moment, Twilight started giggling. Rainbow grunted and pointed an accusatory hoof at her laughing marefriend, but Applejack swatted it away, chuckling herself. “No, that ain’t it, Dash.”

“But—”

“So,” Twilight cut in, “I’ve been thinking about our living arrangement. Applejack gets up the earliest and has the longest work day, followed by you, Rainbow, while I have steady hours that start later in the morning. When you first moved into the library it made sense, because your job is just up from pretty much anywhere and me getting to and from a cloud house isn’t exactly easy, even if I found a permanent cloudwalking spell. But if Applejack’s going to live with us permanently, it doesn’t make any sense for us to live in the library.”

Rainbow’s jaw snapped shut. “...Oh.”

“That is presupposing you’re either interested or ready to move in permanently, Applejack, which I’m not assuming.” She turned to her other marefriend, her smile turning tentative. “If you are, I was thinking we should start looking for a new place to move into closer to the farm. You and Rainbow Dash are already commuting; I can just as easily work at the library during the day and come home to someplace else.”

Applejack frowned in thought and nodded. “Well…I got a feelin’ I’m gonna be real busy for Winter Wrap Up, and it’s just gonna get worse for a while. Farmin’ in the spring ain’t no picnic, an’ Big Mac’s gonna need me there.”

Rainbow’s ears fell flat and she puffed out her feathers again.

“But if I can say anythin’ about makin’ the time this winter …I want this.” She smiled at Twilight, then to Rainbow. “I want us.”

They grinned back at her, and Twilight nuzzled in under her chin. “I want us, too.”

“Duh.” Rainbow injected bravado back into her voice, running a hoof through her mane and shooting a bored look off the side of the road. “I knew everything was still cool.” She looked sidelong at Applejack, her expression guarded. “So…you wanna move in with us if we find a new place?”

“Might have’ta wait for things to settle down ‘fore I really got the time, but if’n we can find someplace that works for everypony…I’d love to.”

Shooting into the air, Rainbow shouted, “Yes!” She coughed and cleared her throat, returning to the ground and darting her eyes side to side. “Um, I mean, that’s cool.” Applejack and Twilight exchanged a smirk. “So, uh…go Team Sex Goddesses?”

Twilight’s brow knit. “…Team Sex Goddesses?”

“It’s either that or Team Butts.”

Twilight winced and shook her head, turning to Applejack. “Thank goodness you’re normal.”

“Normal? I’m votin’ for Team Butts.” Rainbow snorted and covered her snout, watching the blooming grin on Applejack’s face as Twilight’s ears fell flat and her eye twitched. Applejack prodded her in the chest. “What’cha think, smack butt?”

Rainbow poked Twilight in the ribs. “Yeah, smack butt.”

At their continued jabs, Twilight started giggling and slapping their hooves away. “Okay, okay, knock it off, you’re both crazy. C’mon, we’re almost late.” They set off down the hill towards the bakery, giggling together and pressed in close.

Applejack shook her head as they went. “I still can’t fathom how we’re makin’ this work. ‘Specially after that first week.”

Rainbow coughed. “I’m still sorry I tossed your alarm clock out, AJ.”

“And right after Spike replaced that window, too,” Twilight teased.

“Ain’t no big deal now, Dash.” She grinned faintly, then sighed. “I just been scared about all this, worryin’ about how it’d go, an’ about messin’ stuff up ‘tween the two of ya. In hindsight, it sorta felt like it wasn’t smart to try this out right after that big fight the two of ya had. Y’all were walkin’ on eggshells with each other, an’ I kept worryin’ I was gonna say the wrong thing.”

Twilight nodded. “If I had it to do over again, but…nopony ever does. It hasn’t been perfect, but that’s real life.”

“Eeyup.” Applejack stepped in front and held the door open for her marefriends, the bell overhead jingling. They filed into the bakery and made their way over to their friends at the largest table in the room.

Rarity grinned at their approach. “Ah, here are the ruffians,” she teased, pulling out the three empty chairs with her magic. Twilight sat and lowered the food to the center of the table. “Pinkie was getting ready to send a search party.”

“I was not, silly! I was just gonna send Gummy!”

Fluttershy hid her giggle behind a hoof, waving at Applejack and Rainbow as they sat down on either side of Twilight. Rarity lifted the towel off the dish. “Ooh, another one of your noodle entrees, Twilight, and it smells delightful! And a wonderful looking pie from Applejack…I see Rainbow Dash graces us with her presence again.” Rarity smirked, her eyes shining with mischief.

“Hey, you’re lucky I even got up, Rares.”

Pinkie whipped back to the table with a stack of plates before anypony noticed she had left. “That looks really yummy, Twilight! Let’s dig in and have a happy winter’s-almost-over day, and a super happy Twiley-Apple-Dashie three monthiversary!”

The three lovers mirrored each other, their jaws falling open and snapping shut at the same time. Applejack adjusted her hat as she frowned in thought, and glanced at Rainbow and Twilight. “Is it three months now?”

Rainbow shrugged and Twilight rubbed her chin. “Well…uh, let’s see…” She screwed her eyes up in thought. “Ninety days today.”

Pinkie giggled as she dished out servings for the table, leaping back into her seat. “So here’s to sunny days and happy threesomes!” she shouted.

Rainbow, Twilight, and Applejack heard Mrs. Cake drop a plate in the back room as their faces heated up. Fluttershy hid her eyes from view, while Rarity looked delighted in her amusement. Neither made the three feel better. “D-don’t call it that, Pinkie,” Applejack groaned.

“Yes, Pinkie,” Rarity tittered, her lips curling, “I’m sure they much prefer you call them a ménage.”

Twilight coughed into her hoof. “We’ve been going with ‘team,’ if it’s all the same.” She cast sidelong glares that said, ‘don’t you dare,’ at both Rainbow and Applejack, who struggled to keep their faces straight, before turning her attention to the food. “Shall we eat?” She raised a glass of water in her magic. “To the end of winter, and…to three months as a team?”

The others raised their glasses, clinking them overhead in the middle of the table. Rainbow and Pinkie dove into their plates, scarfing down wads of noodles, while the others took more reasonable bites, murmuring their approval to Twilight.

Fluttershy cleared her throat, sliding her mane away from her forehead. “We, uh, we really are happy for you three.”

“Uh-huh!” Pinkie chimed.

“Oh, of course we’re happy for them, Fluttershy, they’re well aware I’m teasing them.” She winked at the three. “But you can’t give me something so juicy and expect me to ignore it, after all. It’s all in good fun, and I must admit you’ve struck a rather delicate balance together. And it’s such an aesthetically pleasing grouping!” She flourished her hooves in the air. “Unicorn, earth pony, and pegasus! And such exemplary specimens of each tribe, too!”

Applejack rolled her eyes and took a large bite of her meal. “Yeah, Rarity, we were thinkin’ real hard about that when we got together.”

“Ooh, speaking of, you have been rather reticent to tell us how that happened.” Applejack’s lips twitched as she stifled a grimace, while Rainbow’s and Twilight’s gazes met and then glanced off each other, searching for interesting things in the bakery to focus on. “How did such an arrangement happen?”

“C’mon, Rares,” Rainbow groaned.

“Surely it’s a story full of heartache and personal turmoil, with tearful declarations of love between starcrossed ponies! Promises of faithfulness not meant, jealousy, arguments, clandestine midnight rendezvous!” Rarity swooned in her seat, making a face as Pinkie ruined the effect by clearing the plates and dishing out slices of pie. She cleared her throat and refocused on the three. “You absolutely must tell us how this came to pass.”

“I-if you want to,” Fluttershy added. “I am a little curious.”

Rainbow swallowed the lump in her throat and slouched in her seat, looking to Twilight. Twilight chewed her lip, ears pulled back against her head, and turned towards Applejack.

Applejack smiled. “Actually, sugarcube, the three of us started datin’ after talkin’ it out. Dash ‘n Twi said they both loved havin’ me around an’ asked me to date ‘em over the winter, just to see how it’d go.” She slid her hoof across the table, meeting Twilight’s, then Rainbow’s. “And now that winter’s over, we reckon I’m gonna move in with ‘em for good.”

Rarity pouted. “Oh, that’s not romantic at all!”

Rainbow gave the table a wicked smirk. “Hey, you wanna hear romantic, you should hear Twi when she’s got her legs up in—”

“Hey!” Twilight choked.

Applejack snorted and forced out, “Or Dash when somepony starts chewin’ on a wing just righ—”

Rainbow sputtered. “Hey!”

Twilight glared at Applejack and jabbed her in the belly. “Oh, you, too, Applejack? How would you like it if I shared the way you get when I cast a certain spell. I’m sure you’d love for Rarity to hear about that.”

Rarity’s eyes lit up. “Ooh, what sort of spell?” Twilight flinched and fell back in her seat, her face darkening with embarrassment. Rarity met her gaze and went red to match. “…Oh.”

Fluttershy squeaked and darted under the table. Applejack burst out laughing. Rainbow followed.

Twilight and Rarity mustered their dignity as Pinkie coaxed Fluttershy out from hiding, and the laughter from Rainbow and Applejack eventually tapered off. Taking a deep breath, Applejack wiped her eyes and said, “Listen, sugarcube, the three of us just ain’t romantic ponies. We’re the sort to just sit down an’ just talk through what’s goin’ on. We ain’t always the best at it, an’ Celestia knows we messed that up more’n once, but the first time we said we loved each other wasn’t from no fairy tale. And I think the three of us like that just fine.”

Applejack grinned and caught her lovers’ hooves again, looking them both over. “And there ain’t no fairy tale that’ll match up to just livin’ life together one day at a time, neither.”

Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie smiled at the three as they sat together, holding hooves and taking each other in. Rarity leaned back in her chair and let out a wistful sigh. “Well, Applejack, I suppose that is a rather nice story after all. I suspect the three of you are far more soft-hearted than you let on.” She winked. “I won’t tell a soul; your secrets are safe with me.”

They took turns rolling their eyes at her as Pinkie discovered she had an untouched slice of pie. When their friend inhaled her dessert, the table fell into comfortable chuckles before tending to their own plates.

They finished their meals in amiable small-talk before saying their goodbyes and heading their separate ways. Outside of Sugarcube Corner, Rainbow paused on the path back towards the library. “Hey, AJ, you still up for that race?”

“Any time, fly-girl.”

“Your funeral.” Rainbow grinned, then turned to Twilight. “Twi, you mind timing us?” Her expression fell into a smirk. “We got another race planned for when we’re home that you’ll wanna join.”

Twilight giggled and shook her head. “That sounds like a nice afternoon.” She winked at Applejack, turning in the direction of the park. “Remember to pace yourselves. I don’t want to be running that second race all by myself.” Rainbow shoulder-checked her and she laughed, shoving back and knocking Rainbow into Applejack.

“’Nough standin’ around, let’s go race.” Applejack punctuated her words by thumping Rainbow back towards Twilight, sending them both sprawling. Rainbow helped Twilight up and they both smeared Applejack’s neck with hooffuls of snow. Applejack tackled them into a snow bank.

After a while of roughhousing, laughing, half-soaked, cheeks rosy from the cold, and with specks of white caught in their coats and manes, the three gathered themselves up, standing side by side and facing towards the park.

And together, they moved forward.

Author's Notes:

And with that, Room for One More comes to a close. I had a great time writing this story, from its sort of strange history as an outline for most of the A plot I hacked out and then largely ignored with my friend and frequent collaborator, Peroth E, to an expanded and complete idea months later I launched into largely on a whim of inspiration.

It was a fun ride I am so happy I got to share with you all, and I’m so glad you all took the time to read. I love writing and I love these characters. Thank you all so much for indulging me; I read every comment I get way more than once, and I feel so lucky to have gotten so many readers who are willing to put up with my frequent bouts of inactivity and fairly constant insanity.

A question I’ve gotten a few times is whether or not I plan on revisiting the world of Room for One More, and the answer is…yeah, probably. Over the course of writing Room, there were a few parts that I wanted to write about that just wouldn’t fit without messing up the pacing. No grand plans for another novel-length follow-up, but there’s a lot of room for expansion and it’s something I’d like to revisit, so don’t be surprised to see a ‘Room for One More: Side Stories’ popping up at some point. After all, I never got a chance to write about the first time Rainbow Dash was the subject of Twilight’s certain spell.

Again, thank you so much for reading, and I hope you’ll stick with me onto the next silly little project. And now, I’ll close off Room for One More the same way I ended every chapter. This time, it applies to the entire story:

tl;dr

bats is a pervert.