Mariska Hargitay and Christopher Meloni have been doing this dance… God, since 1999? I try not to speak for everyone, but this time, I feel confident when I say: Hey, Time? Stop. Please, just stop.

Sitting down with US Weekly, Hargitay was grilled on whether or not our resident detective-lover pairing, Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler, would finally — finally — have the romantic moment fans of Law and Order SVU have been waiting on for… over two decades. 

“We keep it open. We are very careful with the story, and we want to make sure that it’s dealt with the right way, and that takes just a lot of thought and we’re still in the journey,” Hargitay evasively explains.

“That’s the thing about being on a marathon. I feel like SVU, I’m still in the race, I’m still in the marathon, and I’ve got a ways to go before the finish line.”

In a feature Hargitay did with Variety, she reveals that it almost happened. “To be honest with you, Chris and I thought it should go one way and the powers that be didn’t, so it got changed at the last minute, that near kiss.” We. Were. So. Close.

Please Just Let Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler Kiss In ‘Law And Order SVU’. Please.

I remember when Law and Order SVU was billed as the gritty Law and Order. You know, not that kiddy stuff from the original series. I was a single-digit age when the very first episode aired. Do you know how many major events have happened since 1999? How many people have lived and left? How many shows have been finished, canceled, or otherwise never saw the light of day?

Law and Order SVU can be an exhausting, horrifying watch. We’re dealing with sexual assault. It’s not exactly going to be a fun romp. But do you know what kept people invested for all these years?

Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler. Mariska Hargitay and Christopher Meloni.

For years, all most viewers have ever wanted is the culmination of the many glimmers of hope we’ve been subjected to. It’s easily been one of the most painful “will they, won’t they” teases across all mediums, throughout all stories.

Stop playing with us. We deserve the sweet release of romance! NBC, stop your shenanigans. Let. Them. Kiss.