Seeing as this was Badminton Horse Trials weekend, I decided to do a Badminton Horse Trials AU. It shouldn't be very many chapters long, maybe three, but not more than around five (probably). I tried not to use too much confusing equestrian terminology, but just in case here 's a quick summary:

Badminton is one of just 6 'four star' events in the world (the most difficult level). So basically, it's very prestigious and very difficult, and only the best of the best compete in it. If you want to know just how hard it is, then this year, 77 started the cross-country phase and only 35 completed. (That is quite unusual but the bad weather this year made it more difficult). The sport of eventing is in three phases – dressage, cross country and show jumping. Dressage is kind of like ballet for horses, cross-country is galloping very fast over a long distance and over a series of large solid jumps, and show jumping is a series of closely-packed jumps in an arena. I apologise to anyone equestrian I offended with those simplified summaries. If you want to know more, google it, but that shouldn't be necessary for this fic.

If you find any more terminology confusing please tell me so I can stick a 'rough guide' in the next chapter. Google is wonderful for sorting out confusion though.

Enjoy!

Darcy really hated stuck-up riders.

True, she wasn't as talented as they were. That was perfectly obvious. If she had that level of skill then she would be competing, rather than acting as groom/PA/slave to Jane Foster. But that didn't give them the right to treat her like garbage. Grooms were almost as essential at an event like this as the stupid rider themselves. If they didn't recognise that, then they didn't deserve to ride here.

Rolling her eyes, Darcy shifted the saddle in her arms and opened the door of the temporary tack room with her hip. To be honest, most of the riders here were lovely. Jane herself was a complete sweetheart, even if she was absurdly absent-minded and had a tendency to forget to put her hat on before going to warm up. There were just a select few who turned their noses up every time Darcy ran past to look for a missing headcollar, or asked what she was doing when she wandered into the marquee where all of the riders ate.

There were two other grooms already polishing leather in the tack room, and Darcy grinned as she set the saddle down.

"Hey guys. How's it going?"

Ian gave Darcy a nervous wave. She had dated him for a few months last season, back when he was an assistant groom at Jane's yard, but she had broken it off when he had moved to be travelling groom for Clint Barton. They were still sort of friends, but that was made a bit difficult by Ian's lingering crush.

"Clint's fifth after dressage with Hawkeye, so he's pretty happy. A bit annoyed that Tasha's ahead of him though."

Darcy grinned. The rivalry between Clint Barton and Natasha Romanoff was legendary. They had first encountered each other at the World Equestrian Games ten years ago – Clint had been defending his title but had come second to Natasha by just 0.2 penalties. Since then, the pair had made it their mission to beat the other in every competition. They were also currently engaged, which Darcy had smelt coming from a mile off.

"You can never really tell with Nick. SHIELD seemed to go well, but while 16th is good it isn't fantastic. As for his round on Patch, I doubt he's happy at all with 42nd, even if it has only been the dressage." Maria didn't look up from tack cleaning as she spoke.

Darcy winced sympathetically. Nick Fury was a wonderful rider, even if he was getting old, but he was a horrible boss. She had worked for him as an assistant groom back in her training days, and he was not nice to be around when he got angry.

"Jane seems thrilled with ninth, but then she's thrilled with anything. I marvel at her optimism. I still think the judges should have deducted points because she named her horse Astrophysics though."

Maria laughed. "I've heard worse. I can't even pronounce half of the names Natasha gives her horses. Black Widow's the only one that's anything close to sensible – all the others are far too Russian."

Darcy nodded her agreement, busying herself polishing Jane's tack. It seemed strange cleaning it now when it wouldn't be used again for two weeks – and it would have to be cleaned again before then – but it was best not to argue with Jane. She didn't get angry, but she got this disappointed look that made Darcy feel like she'd kicked a puppy.

Voices sounded from outside the door, and Darcy cocked her head to one side to listen.

"Sounds like Jane and Thor. Do you reckon he's managed to ask her out yet?"

Thor Odinson was an American rider, and Jane had the biggest crush on him Darcy had ever seen. It would have been pathetic, except he obviously had the same feelings back. He had so far avoided asking Jane out because of the distance, but he was staying in the UK to train this year so Darcy couldn't work out why the pair weren't properly dating yet.

"Five quid says he won't get round to it this weekend." Ian pulled a crumpled five pound note out of his pocket.

"Done. He's not quite that bad." Maria pulled out a note of her own and waved it at Ian.

"I'm not betting on my employer. That said, if I was going to, I'd go with Maria. Sorry Ian." Darcy finished polishing the saddle and moved on to the bridle, fiddling with the buckles to remove the fancy browband.

Maria smiled, before standing up, pulling a saddle cover over her own dressage saddle. "Well, I'm sure I'll see you guys at feed time tonight. If you see Bucky, tell him hi from me." Picking up her saddle and bridle, Maria left the room.

Ian's eyes followed her as she left, before looking down at his own tack. "I don't know how you two clean so quickly. I still have to shine both stirrups and I've been here for ages."

"Practice." Darcy supplied. "And a general lack of patience. I don't see the need to make the saddle competition standard when I'll clean it again before the next competition. Even this I'll probably clean again before it's used, just in case."

The door swung open, and Darcy grinned as she noticed Bucky. "Hey, Buck. Nice plaits on American Boy earlier."

Bucky's eyes crinkled as he sat down, carefully putting down his saddle. "Thanks Darcy. It's a pity he didn't perform as well as he looked. Steve's in 20th on Stars and Stripes, but American Boy's down in 60th."

"He'll improve on that. Dressage is his weakest phase. It's cross country that really counts anyway. I doubt Steve minds."

"Of course not, but he'd think he did well if he was in last. It generally doesn't bother him. I would have thought he'd have been worried about losing his place on the US squad to Thor, but he's so gentlemanly."

Darcy hummed in agreement. Steve Rogers was a great rider, but he was more famous for his gentlemanly attitude and (amongst the grooms) his status as 'still a virgin'. Apparently he hadn't dated since his girlfriend Peggy had died in a cross country accident twenty years ago. It had been a tragedy, a shock rotational fall that resulted in a broken neck. Even after all this time it was one of the worst Eventing deaths ever.

Deeming the bridle to be clean enough, Darcy buckled everything back together and stood up.

"I'll see you guys at feed time. Bucky, Maria says hi by the way."

Collecting her saddle, Darcy nudged the door open with her hip again, making her way towards Jane's horsebox. She was just admiring Tony Stark's Iron Horse being lunged out of the corner of her eye when she almost collided with someone.

"Oops, I'm so sorry! Wasn't watching where I was going."

The figure in front of her – a tall, dark haired man with extremely piercing green eyes – stared down at her for a moment.

"No, I can see that." He finally replied, before elegantly moving past her and walking away.

Darcy glared at his retreating figure. How rude! This was what she meant by stuck-up riders. She should have been watching where she was going, but she hadn't physically walked into him, so he had no reason to act so haughty.

Reaching the horsebox, Darcy stowed the dressage saddle and bridle in storage before checking that the tack for cross-country tomorrow was ready. Satisfied, she checked her watch before deciding to go and find Jane. She needed to know if Jane wanted Astro lead out for a bite of grass before feed time.

Spotting Jane's head in a gaggle of riders, Darcy wandered over, calling out as she went.

"Yo, Jane! Do you want me to take Astro out for grass?"

Jane turned, and a few of the riders she was with turned as well. Darcy recognised Thor and Natasha, as well as the irritating man from earlier. He had a disapproving look on his face. Darcy resisted the urge to poke out her tongue.

"Oh! I was going to lead him out earlier. I'm so sorry Darcy." Jane looked apologetic.

"Don't sweat it boss lady, that's what I'm here for. You just focus on strategising for tomorrow. I put your whip on top of the spare grooming kit if you're wondering where it's gone."

Jane smiled gratefully, and Darcy turned on her heel, this time heading towards the stables. She absently wondered if Jane would have put Astros's headcollar on the door where it was supposed to be.

Fortunately, the headcollar was on its hook, and Darcy stroked Astro's face as she slipped it on.

"Alright girly, we're just going to get some grass, ok? Try not to be too greedy, you have a big day tomorrow."

Leading Astro out, Darcy noticed Pepper with Arc Reactor in front of Badminton House and decided to join her. Pepper smiled as they approached.

"I think Archie believes he's in an eating contest not an Eventing one." She joked.

Darcy laughed. "Astro's normally the same. Keeping her weight down in the winter his horrible."

"Tell me about it." Pepper agreed. "At least Tony's finally invested in a horse walker. I was wondering how long I' have to pester him for before I just gave up and ordered one myself."

"Perks of being married to your boss."

Pepper blushed, and Darcy smiled. Tony and Pepper were the most adorable couple on the circuit. Not many riders would think of marrying their grooms, but Tony wasn't quite as much of an asshole as he first appeared.

Most of the time, anyway.

Hooves clopped behind Darcy, and she glanced over her shoulder to see the man from earlier leading a beautiful black horse. She couldn't remember it from dressage, but it was possible they had completed their test the previous day.

"Pepper."The man greeted cordially, before turning to Darcy. His eyes flickered in recognition but he said nothing.

"Loki. Where's Erik?" Pepper sounded warm, and Darcy was surprised that the two were friends. Perhaps it wasn't grooms that this man – Loki –disliked. Maybe it was just her. Dickhead.

"I believe he is overseeing Chitauri being reshod. I decided to take Sleipnir out myself. He did very well today."

His voice was surprisingly nice when he wasn't being condescending. Darcy shivered. Attraction to judgemental pricks wasn't allowed.

"You must have had an early test." Darcy guessed. She would have expected to remember such a nice looking black horse.

Loki's eyes flickered to hers. "It was fairly early, yes. I had the advantage of the good weather. Then again, I would like to feel some skill was involved in my placing to."

Darcy blinked. She had a feeling he had taken her words wrongly.

"I meant I don't recognise you. Or the horse. I watched most of the tests, but I don't remember yours. I wasn't trying to insult you?" She knew she sounded uncertain.

Fortunately, Loki accepted her words. "We were the third combination to go today. I apologise if I interpreted your words incorrectly, I have had many comments regarding being first after dressage despite never having competed at Badminton Horse Trials before."

"You're first? Dude. That's awesome." Darcy was surprised. She had expected Phil Coulson to be first after dressage – it was his favourite phase.

"How did Chitauri do?" Pepper asked.

"Fifteenth. But he's younger, so I didn't expect him to do as well. He was a little stiff through the flying changes."

Darcy's opinion of Loki was changing. It was obvious that he could be an asshole, but he was also clearly talented and cared about his horses. Perhaps he wasn't such a bad guy after all.

"Anyway, I must put Sleipnir back before he eats too much grass. I shall see you this evening, Pepper." Loki glanced at Darcy. "Jane's woman."

Jane's woman? Darcy gaped as Loki left. How dare he? Darcy was a person in her own right, not just some slave of Jane's (even if it sometimes felt that way). If he didn't know her name, he could at least have asked.

No, Darcy had been right the first time. Loki was definitely a talented, well spoken, sexy asshole.

She didn't even want to know where the thought about him being sexy came from.

Thoughts?