Fans always wanted to see Detective Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni) and Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) get romantically involved with each other while Meloni was still on Law & Order: SVU.

Alas, that wish was never granted in the 12 seasons of Meloni being around, but the actor at least has an answer for fans now.

In his recent appearance on James Lipton's Inside the Actor's Studio he revealed why they never quite pursued a romantic relationship.

"She was always ready for anything new...There was always an unspoken shorthand to what we were doing. That makes it just so much easier, and off camera as well," Meloni said. "There's a lot to be said for that when you're working with someone for 16 hours a day, you better get along when the cameras aren't rolling as well as when it is. That was priceless, I think for both of us."

Last month, Hargitay and Meloni reunited and treated fans to a selfie. Meloni shared the image via Instagram with a sly caption, understating how momentous the event might be for fans of the show and the duo:

"Meeting peeps NYC #hanginWithAFriend," he wrote.

In a previous interview with HuffPostLive, Meloni addressed the rumors about his return as Stabler for the finale of Season 17 of Law & Order: SVU.

"No, I heard that rumor along with everybody else," the actor said. "I have no idea where that came from or what that's about."

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Law & Order: SVU showrunner Warren Leight revealed that Meloni would not be returning for the finale of season 17.

He revealed that the network and Meloni himself understood that his character's exit had been pretty abrupt, leaving fans wanting for some form of closure.

"In hindsight, NBC, Dick, Universal and Chris all know they could have handled that better," Leight said. "But I think Chris, over time from what I hear, began to realize that the fans were owed a little more."

He went on to suggest that the question of bringing Meloni back obviously didn't face any resistance because everybody understood that they had been lacking in empathy when they wrote him out of the show, even though they won't be bringing him back.

"None of the people in the room thought for a second, 'How will the fans experience this?'" Leight said. "It was a negotiation handled without much empathy on any of the participant's parts, and I think they all sort of know that now. And there wasn't much empathy for the fans either. I think everyone probably learned, but you can't roll the clock back."

The latest episode, entitled 'Sheltered Outcasts,' aired on March 30.

Watch the preview: