All Comments on 'Fireproof'

very sweet. The warehouse 13 reference was kinda funny too.

I never comment but this story was great

so often women and girls are made to feel like the guilty party in their own rape. the aftermath of the event, as in this story, can last a lifetime. takes a special man to help them through the ordeal. may many of us men have the courage and love to help our mates when they REALLY need us.

Great story. Great characters.

Far too good to be in this forum. Lots of bits and pieces from movies I have seen, but this is a good plot for a movie...outstanding.

Now follow up with his and her recovery and the political fallout also update on the little girl.

Thank you...thank you...Thank you.

Outstandign Story, I have not read better on this site.

One of the best. What a great read Thanks

Achingly beautiful ... I am at a loss for words to describe just how well written and moving this story is.

Not many stories on Lit bring tears to my eyes, but this one did. Five.

One of the best written and well told stories I have ever happened across. This one has it all and then some!!

Fantastic story, well told and worth every word.

Bloody Well Done

HP

But it could be great. Please have someone proof and edit for spelling ('ethnics' instead of 'ethics') and continuity (you swapped characters mid-scene a lot) and realism (long time on the rape case, might want to check on statute of limitations).

The story was top-notch. Your story-telling was top-notch. The only part that needs any work is the mechanics.

An amazing story, please keep up the stories.

A newspaper story would never name a living rape victim.

Hi,

Your story was wonderful. It was original and had a heart. I really dislike when people leave comments that might serve to deter people from submitting in the future. For instance the newspaper rape comment. Grow up. Also unlike many stories on this site I didn't notice spelling/grammar errors. No one's perfect!

Congrats on a great story and as someone who hated reading comments left on my stories I really hope you read this one and keep on writing.

Emotionally charged, a good plot line, and your descriptions of the PTSD suffered by both were right on the money. An excellent story but it probably went right over the heads of many users of this site

Awesome story

chapter 2 please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Holy crap amazing story you wrote, is a second chapter in the works or was this the whole story? Either way it was a great read

a real class story hall of fame!

Another great story from a great author. Always look forward to reading your work. Outstanding.

As an ex-firefighter, I very much enjoyed your story.

Ignore Absurd's comment. He doesn't know all the details. Amanda was tutored by Mrs. Frederick and Rachel to help bring down a scum bag. The case had gone to the grand jury. It's entirely possible that Amanda gave permission for her name to go public to give encourage other victims to come forward.

One of Ben's most serious mistakes when he entered the fully engaged building was that he provided no guide to the exit. From experience, visibility is practically zero. Disorientation is easy. The 2 men should have taken a charged line with them into the building to provide a fog screen going in. More importantly, it provided a path to the exit and also would make it easier for rescuers to find them. Surprised that a fire captain would skip that important step.

Give us another story like this one!

Readers,

Thought I'd jump in here to answer a few comments.

I'm surprised no one jumped me on some of the extra quotes that popped up. They started out as a single apostrophe that somehow LIT converted to double quotes. There were a few 'emdashes' that didn't convert or ended up missing.

Amanda's rape at 18.

That was in 1986 and the media was a bit loose on naming names. Now, twenty plus years later, any newspaper/TV/radio/internet would have named her. Just last week at the Jerry Sandusky sentence, victims were name. Statue of limitations? I suggest if you want the absolute in legal accuracy—read a Dan Brown novel, and not a short dirty story on Literotica.

Ben leading the charge into the burning house.

You're right. No captain would do that without the support team. As a matter of fact, once Ben found the girl he'd hightail it out and hand her over to the paramedics. He'd never try to resuscitate her in the middle of full blown building fire.

It's just creative drama. The story wouldn't have been the story it is if he dashed in, grabbed her and ran out. Technically correct, but who'd care? Couldn't you feel Amanda's heart breaking when she slipped Ben's wedding ring on?

After all, every story on LIT is just a simple dirty story. I try to make mine complete with believable characters and a reasonably coherent plot; instead of a blond eighteen year old virgin with 38 DD breasts that can suck the chrome from a '57 chevy's bumper.

Did any reader Google the call sign the dispatcher radio? Bet not. But that is the call sign for Ben's fire company. And his engine company and squad? Engine 51.

Thanks for everyone that posted a comment, good and bad.

Wait 'til you read my next one!

Peace

RWSTEWARD

but later rather than sooner it emerges, TK U MLJ LV NV

Your heart's in the right place, but as a story it was just boring.

This one had it all; good character development, believability, smooth flow to the storyline and yes, resolution. Not sure what he found 'boring' but hey, to each their own. Rwsteward, thank you for sharing your talent. The overwhelming number of positive comments indicate that most of us readers 'got it'!

Oh, and my favorite passage was, "They say that scent calls memories like no other sense. The way water smells as a cool slow creek bubbles along its bank, the smell of hot tar on a stretch of road, or the choking, earthy smell of a dusty day. The intoxicating aroma of her perfume filled his mind with memories of the past good memories."

Damn...if that isn't poetry, I don't know what is.

mat1014

Amazing character development and excellent story telling skills. A realistiic and romantic story.

Thanks for writing this, it really touched my heart. Indeed, one of the best stories here.

Well written. Very well written.

An epilogue closure paragraph would be the only thing in my mind that could improve this ... A couple year later type.....

Thanks for the great story.

I have no doubt that your excellent story will fan a dying spark deep within the hearts of many readers. A few will slow down long enough to thank and congratulate you for reminding them of a love they once cherished. Most will rush on to satisfy their addiction to lust. This heart was warmed and turned...thank you!

I have been a firefighter, EMT, and held officer positions up to Deputy Chief for 35 years before retiring. I have been through 2 marriages, the last went belly up because she couldn't handle the stress and pressure of the things we saw and had to do. All I can say is you hit the nail on the head with this one. GOOD JOB!! and keep up the good work. I will be reading more of your stories. Thanks RM

but this line bothered me: "An affair doesn't make people take their lives" well, this opinion is based on what or according to who, is it according to poor people. rich people, middle class, smart, stupid, educated, white, black, americans, europeans, or....who, an affair is a devastating act to some people, and their reaction could be anything including a suicide, so if you are prepared to hurt people in this way, then also be prepared for them to lash back in any way that their pain dictate.

Great story, would love to know what happened after

Look at Nici's Something We Have To Talk About. I used to be an EMT a long time ago. I ran a call to a scene of a murder suicide where a man killed himself, his wife, thier kids and her lover. Not all the kids were really his. I couldn't understand why anyone would do that until I read Nici's story. So saying it is unlikely that someone would be suicidal in this situation only shows you have never expirenced it.

For those readers that don't think I know the pain of suicide, I know it all too well

In 2006 my 19 year old sun took his life.

I know the pain.

I have been reading another catergory on this site that in reality I don't believe it and find tasteful however the stories in said catergory are full of love and passion and real life. Last night, I started reading your stories. (it is now 5:27 in the morning) You are the only author that I have read all of his submissions as they are well written, very tasteful and full of real life situations. I know how it feels to have your husband cheat on you. When that happens you feel as if there is something wrong with you. I also know how it feels to be raped as I was raped as a young child repeatedly by someone I trusted (who is now serving a long time in jail) In the past I had serious thoughts of taking my life and with the love and support of friends,my children and faith, I am alive today. I now know what its like to have true love in your life as you have described in all of your submissions. You have shared a part of yourself with your readers that we appreicate. Thank you for the great stories. Please keep submitting as you have a ton of fans that love your work.

Sincerely,

DB

Loved it! Thank you for sharing your story with us! Sometimes it is very hard to crawl out of a hole you find yourself in. It took a great friend to help me when I thought there was nothing worth living for.

Do I need to say more?

And in Japan they call it family suicide instead of murder-suicide, because in their culture murder is shameful while suicide is not.

Well that and it keeps their murder numbers lower so that they can look down their noses at Americans.

Until someone takes away your reason to live you have no real understanding of what you could do in those circumstances.

Nietzsche quote: “He who has a Why to live for can bear almost any How.”

Nice romantic tale of a marrage on the rocks that has a crisis and then recovers.

Rated ten not five. Ben was wrong and I do hate cheaters. That being said, his having that fling was almost on the same level of Amanda's suicide attempt. They were both crying for help. He just didn't know how to get it out of her. He felt that he had lost her and tried to push her to do something, even apply for the divorce. He even said so in the session with the Doctor. To top it off he was almost to the point of burn out, and that I believe was the biggest motivation he had for doing what he did. I in my youth was a volunteer firefighter in upper ny state. I also got my paramedics license and got work with NYC EMS before it went FDNY. We didn't have as many fire calls, but when we did they were a doozy. They taught us that a dead firefighter is a useless firefighter. But answer me this, what do you do when you pull up on a scene and the mother is screaming, my baby my baby! It was my first call, I was dumb and invincible at that age. I suited up with the others and grabbing a one and a half inch line went into the building to get that girl out. Went in with two guys from my squad, and as we were getting out we heard the signal 21 coming over the noise, basically get your buts out, structure unsafe and about to collapse. I had the girl, Vinni, had the hose by now, we saw the ceiling engulfed and dropped the hose and ran. The door was in sight when the world went out from under us, I shoved the girl into Vinnis hands and then both of them outside. As we were trying to get out a support beam landed on me and Tony. All I remember was big Vinni (Vinni's father) coming in lifting that beam and throwing tony and I out the door. G-D was with us that day, 'cause we came out with just a few bruises. Takes longer to type this than it did to happen. I went from arrogant and immortal to scared shitless in nothing flat. In the ER, the chief came and chewed the three of us out. That's when he yelled at us about us being useless if we were dead.

In short, I can see why Ben did what he did as far as the fire, as far as his marriage, my feeling is that he applied an old axiom in that at times the structure is doomed and you have to let it burn, just make sure that it doesn't spread. He failed in that I think, to a point. When he got his head out, and got some help with his demons he realized what he had done wrong. In the end he was there for her, and that is what counted!

Loved it, thank you for this offering!

Want to say something. Anything I come up with just isn't enough. I truly, truly was absorbed into this story.

Great character development, nice scene settings and excellent story line. This was such an enjoyable and emotional read.

Thank you.

Well paced, and the crescendo for the fire rescue was some of the best writing ever seen on this site. I will peruse more of your library of stories. Well done.

indeed and not much more to say beyond that. The wonderful comments by other far more eloquent writers express my appreciation well beyond my own abilities. Poetry in a thrilling romance. Not my normal cup of tea but this is truly exemplary.

It's my second reading of this story, and it still seems like a wonderful story to me. Unfortunately, it has brought to light some of my personal demons. I only hope to be in time to solve it with the person I love most in my life ...

5 * for you.

I apologize for my English (yet and forever),isn't my native language.

I don't generally read the 'Romance' genre as a rule, but something about this story caught my attention and drew me in. I found the emotions expressed, and the characterisations of the main players showed them to be as frail, human, and normal as any of us, with thankfully no depictions of freakish sexual prowess and long, drawn-out, sweaty encounters, something that made this story stand out for me.

There's a compelling, underlying sweetness to this tale, and a moral compass that underpins the strong and believable storyline, and think I will be reading it again very soon. 5 stars, and very well done!

Am I the only one who got the Emergency reference? I loved that you used Engine 51 and Squad 51. You just forgot the code KMG 365.

It's great that some readers find the Easter eggs I put in my stories. Yes, the engine and squad numbers are from the old TV show, Emergency. I didn't use the radio call sign, rather the call sign used in this story is the one used in real life for the fire department Ben worked for

It's not over, it's not "finally over". What happened at Ben's hearing? Did he lose his job or get a medal and a promotion? Inquiring minds want to know. I'll give this one

4 stars, might have been 5 if the story had been finished.

Not enough happened to that piece of filth Hal or his teammates and coach . Because of the doo gooders and bleeding hearts who believe in forgiveness and rehabilitation. A couple of years in a cosy prison is all they'll get . Physical castration. Removal of all except 1/2 inch of dick . And their hands completely crushed would be a more suitable punishment. . All as guilty as each other. .

Your response to a working fire was accurate, from the first on scene truck reporting what they see and calling for more apparatus, hooking hose to hydrants, laying hose to the trucks. Then getting Scotted up, and entering the building and doing the search. And the rescue of the child topped it off. Good story, I give it a 5.

Wish that it were possible to award more than five stars. Well done.

Really outstanding. I know nothing about firefighting, but this story poignantly captures the feelings and agony of love, betrayal, heartbreak and reconciliation. We are complex beings, the product of experiences and beliefs often buried and desperately forgotten. This story powerful communicates healing, hope and the strength of love. Thank you rwsteward!

Will Begun.....as sounds for the pavement. TK U MLJ LV NV

So, whose loving wife told them this, lying broken in a hospital bed? After risking life and limb to save an infant, successfully, out of a fire?

"Hi, you big dummy."

Is it so hard to imagine a loving term of endearment? Maybe Asbestos Angel?

Something is seriously wrong with most romance writers. Right after, or soon in this case, the verbal consummation of their love, the woman insults the man. And this isn't the first time it's happened after he's incapacitated, sometimes at her own fists.

This ruins the whole story. Low scores, but avoiding 1 in case it gets swept in a database query.

Yes, this will be a new beginning.

I think I've read this story 4 or 5 times over the years. Still worth every second of reading time.

As for the insulting "big dummy" comment, insults are in the mind of the receiver. We don't know for sure if Ben was insulted, but why assume he was? Why should we be?

Readsalot

a story that salutes fire fighters. rwsteward must know some fire fighters . they like the police run into what other people run from. the only exception was in S Fl. where cops stood outside while students were being murdered . we got a new gov. who fired the sheriff of the area where Isreal the sheriff was canned. Rick Scott didn't have the balls to do so

Why was he so hesitant to get back together? Once she had her sessions and he had his they had a great understanding of why she changed. She came to him renewed and she totally forgave is vegas fling yet he was still certain that they would return to those old ways and not the original loving moments or even new moments of love? She was emotionally and mentally wrecked by the return of her rapist. He should be there for her right away just like she would for his moments.

Great story and yes thank you for decent characters and not bimbo's.

Thank you.

A great romance story with some very incredible sex and just rewards for Howard as part of the happy ending.

I didn't read all of the submitted comments but I bet there are some firefighters out there that let you know they DO NOT wear oxygen bottles on their backs into a fire. The breathing pack they wear only contain compressed and filtered breathing air, exactly the same as what is everywhere around us. Even the TV news will still screw up once in a while and call the air tanks "oxygen tanks". Oxygen tanks are the small slim green tanks carried on the ambulances and maybe a rescue truck, but never into a fire.

Liked the happy ending and we all know that it worked out for Ben and Amanda and he's combing her hair while she's sitting there naked from the waist up.

Hope you start writing again because your stories are always five stars.

Very good job

Swap the sexes on this story and it's rating becomes 1.85 instead of 4.85. Readers would be rightly screaming that only a colossal asshole cheats on and rubs that in the face of their depressed, rape victim spouse. Ben had a right to be unhappy, but the solution was to seek professional couples counseling or to just get a divorce.

Not being a cop, firefighter, or first responder none of these terms or actions would be taken out of context for me. I just enjoy what is written as written.

What stood out me was how the rape was handled back when they were so young. She apparently didn't need help and the guy handled this so maturely. I mean they almost brushed it off and they started to date and life goes on. It wasn't until Hal reappears that she begins to have issues.

As others pointed out he was so hesitant to reunite. He kept saying that they would return to the old ways. His sessions with the Dr. I guess weren't as good as hers. They both had a communication issue but she was traumatized. He cheated in vegas. She could put it all aside and made effort to show she forgave and she wants them to again be together. If I were him I would be thrilled beyond belief and I would be the one throwing myself at her feet.

A lot of emotions, a lot of bad communication, some bad decisions, but in the end it seemed like they were able to fight their way through it and come out of it loving each other even more. It was certainly good to see “Hal” get nailed for his crimes, but it would have been more personally satisfying for me if Ben had been able to dispense some back alley “justice” to his former teammate. I think he, Hal, deserved it. Again, very nice story.

He was suffering from burnout (and/or PTSD) and she was suffering from PTSD. It takes two for a relationship to breakdown. She was undergoing therapy and was more than prepared to meet him halfway. He had to be pushed to take ownership of his situation. She apologized repeatedly, that was way too much in my opinion.

Statute of limitations:

1) if she was under 18 at the time of the rape, there is likely no statue of limitations

2) there may be a stop on time if there is DNA evidence but no match

3) depending on the definition of kidnapping and if there is no statue of limitations on kidnapping, the alternative would be to file kidnapping charges

4) Hal also assaulted her recently and brought up the old rape, you probably will find a brilliant ambitious prosecutor who will put together a good case for rerunning time on the old case; failing which file fresh aggravated assault charges

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 1/2

Amanda is a stupid cunt. Her beauty sleep was more important

A stupid incomplete end

Excellent story with the perfect ending point.

The problems that had hurt their marriage are understood, and the path forward is there. It's not certain they'll make it but the odds look good. The rapist has been exposed and will face justice. For Anonymous approx August 2022 and the rest with absolutely no imagination here is an ending. It won't improve rwsteward's story. That's because he knew when to end it.

"Mr. Cappello was sentenced to life in prison for multiple rapes and the coach for 15 years for tampering with evidence and obstructing justice. For the rest of their miserable lives they cursed the choices that put them in prison.

"Ben made an almost complete recovery, but the fire department put him out of active duty and into training new recruits. He continued to comb Amanda's hair, but no longer as a relief from the stress of his life, but just because he loved to. He combed her hair even after in changed to as he described it 'as white as a Kansas cornfield after a snowstorm, and she continued to be combed nude from the waist up even after her breasts became saggy and wrinkled.

Apologies to rwsteward, I know that ending adds nothing to the story, but I get so annoyed at those no imagination commentors who want every detail spelled out

BTW, 5 stars.

Trying to overlook the fact that he not only cheated (bad enough), but made sure to get caught to hurt her so she would divorce him. Fucking prick whomp. You want out tell her... Or file. I'll bet in either case the discussion is triggered. No, he goes straight to flying to Vegas to fuck someone for a day. Shit, why do it for real? Not like she had photos... Just out the nylons in your clothes purchased from a store... When doing that his intent was to cause her pain. What an ass...

And why didn't he apologize 1000 time? She was a bitch but had a good reason. Why wouldn't he be the one without to recncile after realizing what she was already going through and what he added to her struggle. Shit she be better off without him and if the tables were turned and the woman did that everyone would be screaming burn the bitch.

I enjoyed the writing and the story mostly but was sad that the woman was the one to with so hard and the guy just mostly sat aloof waiting for her to do the work. He has a lot to suppose for a well... Starting from when they first met...

10,000. Hows that.. beats a 5.. Roller coaster ride that 1 . Up and dwn with emotions.. sign of a good 2 great writer.. well done.. ✌️👏👏👏👏👏👏💯💯💯💯👍👍👍👍😉😉🏜️🥂🤷😁🍕

Ben was a jerk in highschool, and no different as an adult. Amanda had a trauma response; he intentionally set out to hurt and humiliate an innocent girl, and then again when she was the person he'd made vows to. Yet you have Amanda apologizing and begging?

Gross.

Jeez what's with this author and masquerading RAACs with disgusting cheaters as "Romance"? :( I don't care what the sexes are, the cheater should be burned.

This is a reconciliation, but not by any means a RAAC. I'm getting sick of the way people use that term. It's good fiction. Can you stop with the judgements and just enjoy the stories?

Outstanding