Potential To Be Strong

Chapter 14: Crowned

As soon as the ice is prepared, it is time for the small award ceremony for the men's individual event. They will be awarded their medals at a separate event. I watch from the side with Coach Brian as the men take the ice in their respective order of placement.

Once Javier and Shoma take their place on their respective podium, it's Yuzuru's turn. Yuzuru takes his victory lap with a proud smile on his face. I can't help but bare the same smile. There was plenty of doubt on whether or not Yuzuru would be standing on that podium. Doubt from outside forces as well as inside forces. We were all worried if we should even send him to the Olympics, but Yuzuru was not to be stopped. He learned to deal with his injury in stride and show everyone he may have been down, but he was not out.

Yuzuru does his customary jump onto the podium when he's getting gold or first place. I can never understand why he likes jumping onto the podium when he can just step onto it. Also, he's still not back to full health in his injured leg so watching him jump onto a podium hurts my heart a little. But I know it's something that makes Yuzuru very happy.

After the men take their victory lap, they huddle up at the side of the rink. Javier pulls Yuzuru and Shoma into a hug. I'm standing with Coach Brian at the side just watching this touching moment. Then I hear Javier tell Yuzuru that this is his last Olympics. I see Yuzuru pull away slightly with tears in his eyes.

"I can't do this without you," I manage to hear Yuzuru say to him as the stadium is so loud but I am as close as I can be at the moment.

Tears well up in the corners of my eyes as I can't believe this moment is happening. Javier is going to leave soon and Yuzuru isn't going to have his best friend and best rival there to help him and push him. I see Coach Brian's taking a video of them as well as taking picture to capture this moment. Coach Brian sees me about to cry and hugs me. He chuckles at my emotional state and tells me that everything will be alright. Yuzuru, Javier and Shoma pull out of the hug and begin to leave. I move myself to Yuzuru's side as we go back stage. I wrap an arm around his waist. Yuzuru sees the tears ready to fall and brushes them away. He kisses the side of my head. Then he places the medal around my neck. And it is heavy.

"You can wear this for awhile," Yuzuru says as we're still walking to his changing room. "You helped me get to this point and I think you deserve to have this around your neck for a little while."

"Thank you, Yuzu," I say softly as I inspect the medal. "You know I might just take this from you. It looks pretty good around my neck."

"I won't give it to you, but you can wear it for now."

"But now you have two. You can spare your girlfriend a gold medal."

"Ha ha. Very funny."

Yuzuru kisses the side of my head again while we're walking. Javier comes over and throws an arm around my shoulder as I'm sandwiched between these Olympic medalist.

"That medal looks great on you, chica," Javier comments jokingly.

"You know, Javi, I told Yuzuru the exact same thing," I tell him chuckling. "But he won't let me keep it."

"I don't blame him. I think I'll lock up my medal for safe keeping."

We all laugh together as we're walk along. Yuzuru's arm is around my waist and Javier's is around my neck. What a great place to be. I never thought I would be here in this moment. Maybe I would have seen this on tv, but to be here and in person is the greatest thing. I'm happy to see my boyfriend get the medal he's been striving for for the last few years. I get to be here and create some of the best memories I'll ever make. And I couldn't be happier.