“We didn’t just get paired; we literally begged to be together,” says The Young and the Restless‘ Tracey E. Bregman (Lauren Fenmore) of how she and costar Christian J. LeBlanc (Michael Baldwin) wound up as one of Genoa City’s most enduring duos. “We worked very hard,” muses LeBlanc. “Whether they liked us paired or not, we were pairing all over the place.”

Despite their imperfect pasts, the characters found a kindred spirit in each other, much like the actors in real life, which has only helped their onscreen chemistry. “We’ve had these emotionally rich storylines, but I also think it has a lot to do with our dynamic and our comfort with each other,” observes Bregman of “Likey’s” longevity. “Because I think that plays. It plays how we feel about each other, that nothing’s uncomfortable.” Adds LeBlanc, “I have played enough couples that it’s really interesting when you automatically have a comfort with someone, a physical comfort, especially.”