Summary: (Gundam SEED AU) After winning the Best Actor, Kira finds himself working in a new series with his father, sister and, the last but not least, his secret crush for years. And then sparks begin to fly. (Pairing: Kira x Athrun)

Disclaimer: These characters aren't mine. Neither is the story of Gundam SEED. As for the inspiration of this fic, they come from a lot of sources, namely this year's Oscar, Garasu no Kamen (Glass Mask) manga by Miuchi Suzue-sensei, and even the Lord of The Rings trilogy. Obviously I don't own them either.

Warnings: First of all, this is a story centered on a male/male pairing, which is Kira x Athrun. Don't like it, don't read. Second, it's an AU. This fic is set in a world very much like ours rather than that in SEED. The main casts are all eighteen in this fic, so you'll probably see some mature content in the course of the story. Spoilers, at least for SEED, will also be unavoidable since I'm using the anime's storyline as the script of the film. If you're still with me so far and don't mind anything I mention above, do proceed.

A/N: This plot is very old, I know, and probably has been used thousands of times in thousands other series. But I want to give it a try in this fandom. I wrote this only for fun, so if there are things that seem improbable (and I must admit that I know absolutely nothing about moviemaking or the showbiz world) and inconsistent, just imagine that they can happen. Or better still, pretend that this fanfic takes place in an alternate universe that resembles ours but is still different.

Beyond The Screen

By: Victorian War

Chapter One: And She Came With a Present

Kira woke up to a loud pounding sound. He looked around groggily and realized that his bedroom was already bathed in bright sunlight, courtesy to his not drawing the curtain last night. Or this morning, if his throbbing headache was any indication. It couldn't be more than three hours since he had slumped into his bed and welcomed the blissful sleep.

The sound continued with the persistence of an ill-mannered woodpecker – not that he had ever seen one – and Kira staggered off the bed with an irritated huff. Whoever knocking at his door really had one hell of a nerve. Disturbing his sleep when he had just won–

Kira froze in the middle of crossing his small living room, recollections flooding his brain. Last night. The Academy Award. Best Actor.

He won.

He won.

His quiet moment of realization was broken by another train of pounding on his front door, now unmistakably louder and more impatient. Not yet fully recovered from the depth of his shock, Kira only stared at it for a long moment. He had won. He was the best actor of the year at the age of eighteen. Of course he had every reason to believe that it was a horde of hungry reporters waiting for him at the other side of the door.

It took him nearly a minute to realize that there was this small useful hole at his door he could use for a little peeking. Feeling rather like an idiot, Kira continued walking toward the source of the sound. For all he knew, it could be his mother wanting to speak to him about something really important. Usually she would let him sleep until noon when he had no work to do for the day, but being his mother, she did have certain authority over him. Or, who knows, maybe it was someone from the award committee who was about tell him that they had gotten it all wrong last night and he had not really won the award. Talking about a bad morning.

Armed with this depressing prospect, he gingerly approached the door and peered into the loophole. A familiar face was scowling at him from the other side of the door and Kira sighed heavily, his headache already increasing tenfold. At least it was not anyone from the committee, but what could his sister possibly want at this early hour? Theoretically, she should be as tired as he was. They had been dancing, laughing all night, and generally making fools out of themselves in front of the most prominent people in the show business. He couldn't imagine a more ridiculous pair than them at the party last night, but no one had said anything – to their face at least – and so they had only carried on.

Well, they won the Award.

More pounding brusquely reminded him that his sister was still out there and Kira quickly unlocked the abused door. He was just about to open his mouth when Cagalli, golden eyes shooting deadly glares at him, fired her accusation.

"Why the hell did you turn off your doorbell?" she asked, voice as sharp as barbed wire. Faced with this demand however, his irritation only returned in full force and soon Kira already matched her glare with one of his own.

"Because I want to sleep the whole day, that's why," he snapped. "I'm tired and I'm cranky, so tell me what you want so I can kick you out of my apartment and get back to my bed."

For a moment, it looked like she was about to snap back at him, but a second later her face broke into a grin, followed by a train of merry laughter. The sound, however, only tripled the intensity of his painful headache. Kira heaved a deep sigh, calming himself before the rest of his patience blew up to oblivion.

"Cagalli," he repeated, voice laced with every degree of warning he could muster in his half-sober state, "what do you want?"

"You do look like hell," she said, looking much too amused to his steadily worsening mood. Now reminded to the fact that he had been sleeping in his tuxedo, Kira chose to ignore it and shot her another warning glare.

"Cagalli–"

"I'm just saying," she interrupted, an exasperated note colouring her voice. "And don't think I'm letting you back to bed. Change your clothes, Brother, we're going out to celebrate."

Kira felt like his head had just been hammered by tons of… well, hammers. "Wasn't last night – until this morning by the way – enough already?" he said incredulously.

"We won the Academy, Kira," she pointed out. "I think I'm allowed to get a little high."

"And I think I'm allowed to have a little sleep," he shot back crossly. "Cagalli, we were partying until five this morning! And now it's what? Nine in the morning??"

"Details," she waved a hand cheerfully and pushed him aside, inviting herself in. Kira wanted to protest but then realized that he could not raise any, not against his own sister – and currently the best actress in the world. Flattening his irritation down as best as he could, he followed her toward the pantry and grudgingly took a seat on one of the stools as his sister busied herself with cups and coffee beans.

"What do you mean celebrate?" he asked her, unable to keep the hint of frustration out of his voice particularly because she had started humming a happy tune. For someone who had slept for only three-and-a-half hours at best, she was positively radiating with joie de vivre. But Cagalli had always been like that, he reminded himself. Her last movie, a tragic story featuring her as a fragile Russian princess in a turbulent journey toward adulthood shocked everyone, especially those who were familiar with her previous roles and personality in life. Kira knew what an actress should be capable of and admitted that his twin was one of the best, but still he was genuinely amazed at how good Cagalli was in the movie. No one would believe that the delicate princess was in reality a girl with a fiery character. She definitely deserved the award.

The 'princess' stopped in the middle of her coffee-making and threw him a dry look. "If you check your phone now, you'll find out that we've left thousands of messages, but the point is, Dad and Mum want us to spend the day together with them."

At this explanation, Kira wanted to sigh again but decided not to. He realized that they had been spending time together less and less ever since he and Cagalli had started signing contract for big projects. Their parents were glad for them, of course, and it wasn't as if they had been a very close family to begin with. But still.

Uzumi Nala Athha was a legendary director with many successes, including nine films in total and three Oscars, the last of which he had only obtained last night. Lisha Yamato, on the other hand, was a fashion designer who specialized in making costumes for movies. Both were the top dignitaries of their fields and this was probably the reason why they had divorced when their children had just been two years old. Kira hadn't remembered much about his father and older sister, and for years lived a contented childhood with his beautiful mother.

Their family's second get-together happened during the shooting of a movie eight years ago when Uzumi, distressed by horrendous designs – as he called them – shown by every other costume designer, decided that he needed his ex-wife's help. It had not happened in a flash, especially since it had been ego which had separated them years ago, and both of them had their own pride, big and often insurmountable. It was with the help of both children that they finally remarried two years later.

Not a second in his life Kira ever regretted that day, but there were times when he wished that his father wasn't so famous. Or so brilliant. He had heard those snide comments about his achievements only too often, that they were just a part of the legendary director's hall of fame. He could only imagine how it was for Cagalli who had grown up looking at his towering silhouette.

Casting a sidelong glance at his sister, Kira couldn't help an affectionate smile, his irritation already evaporating without a trace. For him, she was a true miracle. Never in his life had he ever imagined meeting someone who instantly 'clicked' with him so naturally. Sure, they had their rough moments but most times, it spawned from the fact that they were both too stubborn to their own good. They had the same way of thinking, knew what was on each other's mind, and generally liked the same things, among them and the most obvious the art of acting. The latter had even gone as far as liking the same boy when they had been in junior high, which had created quite a tension between them that time since they practically couldn't hide anything from the other. Kira chuckled at this memory. Cagalli was, beyond any doubt, his twin.

"You'll hear about this from Dad later but I'm going to tell you anyway," she suddenly said, looking away for a moment from the coffeemaker and fixing him her I-know-a-secret-you-don't look. Kira raised an eyebrow at this. Cagalli was never good at keeping secrets, especially from him, but she definitely knew how to make them look tantalizing.

"What?"

His sister looked at him for a long moment, his gaze appraising, before answering slowly, "He will ask you to play in a film."

That certainly was not what he had been expecting. Kira frowned, not getting the big picture of the whole situation, and said, "You know my policy, Cagalli. I'm not playing and won't play in his films. I thought at least you agreed with me on that."

Clearly undeterred by his refusal, she gave him a stubborn look and added, "I'll be playing in it too."

At this, he became even more astonished. "What?"

"You don't know what film I'm talking about, Kira," she pointed out with a grin.

It was plain that he didn't, but judging from the pleased look on his twin's face, it shouldn't be too hard to guess. Kira rummaged through his brain and the answer came to him easily. "The winter series?"

"Bull's-eye, Brother," her grin widened a notch and she put in front of him a steaming cup of coffee. "Here, have your well-earned prize and listen to me. Dad is offered to be the director of the greatest series ever made and he wants you in it. You'll be lying if you say that you don't want the role, so be honest with me. Are you interested?"

Kira had to force himself not to snort incredulously at this point. "With him as the director and us in it? Imagine how it'll look, Cagalli. The Athha family project?"

The look on her face told him that he had not heard the worst part. "Guess what roles we get."

"Twins?" he said sarcastically.

Her jaw dropped as surprise flickered across her face. "How do you know that?"

Equally shocked, Kira found himself copying the gesture. "We get roles as twins? Is he crazy?"

"No," Cagalli shook her head and gave him a little smile. "We'll be playing as twins separated since infancy. And don't say anything about that," she quickly added when he opened his mouth again. "Just think about it, Kira. People are willing to kill to get the most trivial role in this series and you have the chance to be the leading cast within your grasp. Please show me that you aren't as daft as I think you are."

The last bit of information, however, only increased his incredulity. "I'm the main character in the biggest series ever made by my own father?"

"My dear brother, you wonthe Academy," she said, a trace of impatience in her voice. "Give yourself a little credit. And stop blaming him for being a great director that he is, will you? The three of us won last night and he wants to make this project his best one yet. It just happens that we, the finest people there is, are a family."

Kira was silent for a long moment, only staring at the light vapor emitted by his coffee. Cagalli was right about certain points. He would, beyond any doubt, be the envy of every actor that walked this earth. The winter series – as people called it since it always began on the first of December every year – was as famous as it was first-class, not to mention big-budgeted. It was the only series which was sponsored by five major corporations in the world, enabling instant popularity and almost unlimited amount of money to fulfill the director's every whim. There were definitely perks by working in this project, including but not limited to a large income and a guaranteed success in the future if he played very well.

But in a way, it was also a double-edged sword. If he was unable to live up to the director's expectation – who in this case was his perfectionist of a father – or to pass the executive board's examination, it was an almost certain death of his career. He had to think about this carefully. Not that he doubted his ability, but there were other factors that played a part in making one a good actor. And he had not mentioned about the unkind voices that would certainly rise at his and Cagalli's appointment. What if it dealt a heavy damage on the popularity of the series?

"You're worried about what others will think?" his sister suddenly asked, easily terminating his train of thoughts.

Kira stared back squarely at her golden eyes. "Aren't you?"

"Well..." she hesitated for a moment and then nodded. "Yeah, I think I am. That was the reason why we got out of the house and chose to live here, right? But don't you want this role?"

This, of course, he couldn't deny. "Yes," he admitted sheepishly. "If it suits me, that is."

Cagalli rolled her eyes. "That completely goes without saying. What makes you think Dad will offer you a role that doesn't suit you anyway? If he says you'll be great, then you'll be great. He isn't the best director in the world for nothing."

"I know," Kira grinned, unable to hide his amusement at how fierce his twin defended their father's honor. It had been five years since they had become a whole family again, but Cagalli was still her father's daughter and Kira remained his mother's son. Both parents loved them equally, but when it came to who knew who better, the answer was obvious.

After taking a sip from her own cup, Cagalli fixed him another determined look. "Fine, if you're so worried, just see the whole problem this way. If there are people who assume that we get the roles only because of him, let's shut them up. We'll play so good that they can do nothing else but to admit that they are wrong. We can do it, Kira, I know we can. The question is, are you up for it?"

It was certainly a challenge – and one he was unlikely to back down from in normal circumstances. Still, Kira forced himself not to succumb to adrenaline rush – the coffee's fault, undoubtedly, and her provocation's too. He slowly sipped his drink and once again mulled things over, only half-aware that his sister was a hair's breadth away from strangling him for making her wait. If he were to be honest, he already knew the answer. Cagalli was good and Kira knew for sure that he himself was good. They would make a magnificent team. Of course they could do it.

There was, however, one last thing he needed to ask. He reached out and caught her hand in his, his face serious. "Do you really want this, Cagalli? You do know that it will be far from easy, right?"

Her surprise gave way to a smile, soft but bright under the light admitted in by the large window in the room. "Yes," she answered firmly. "A lot of people won't like it, but I believe that together we can make things happen. Besides," she added with an amused tone, "this will be the first time we're doing a film together. You know I always want to play against you if only to assure myself that my brother is really as good as people say."

He chuckled and gave her hand a light squeeze. "Okay then, you'll get the answer after I see the script."

"Oh, suit yourself," she snorted, irritated that her brother wouldn't make up his mind already. "Just remember that I'll be very pissed if you say no."

Kira only smiled into his cup. He would most likely say yes if only to pay the debt he knew he owed her. Ever since he had been a little boy, Kira had seen his mother work with handsome actors and beautiful actresses many, many times. They had enchanted him, showing him that a colourful world existed beyond reality, but in the end it was Cagalli who had roused his passion in acting. Seeing her as Juliet in their junior high school play had been the beginning of everything.

The road ahead wouldn't be smooth, but if his sister wanted it, Kira would walk down that road with her.

"You're thinking about me," she suddenly said, an amused smile curving her lips.

Kira gave her a blank look, refusing to admit. "I have to remind you that winning the Best Actress doesn't mean that you can hit on your own brother."

Cagalli burst into laughter. "Very original, Brother," she said, clapping her hands in acknowledgement. "Oh right, before I forget and you complain about this, Dad has asked Mum to be in charge of the wardrobe."

"Imagine my surprise," he replied dryly and earned himself a reproachful look from his twin.

"Do we have to repeat the earlier argument?"

He smiled wanly. "You can inflict more damage to my mental health by telling me the rest of the cast."

Cagalli grinned at him. "You want shock? Then I'll tell you three names. First, Fllay's on the list."

Kira was suddenly reminded to the prime reason why he didn't want to be involved in this series. "Fllay?" he repeated, feeling that the news had led another headache invasion to his head. "Your best friend Fllay Allster? Cagalli, I honestly begin to think that Dad's doing this only for his own fun."

"He said Fllay would be terrific playing this role and you know she's a great actress," his sister replied offhandedly. "She'll be your girl, by the way. Or at least one of them from what I heard."

"Right," he sighed, massaging his temple. "Who else?"

"Lacus Clyne."

Finally, a name that didn't make him want to bang his head onto the table. "Lacus Clyne? TheLacus Clyne? The songstress with the divine voice?" he asked, thrilled at the prospect of working with his favourite singer.

"Yeah, her role has to do a lot of singing, so she'll be perfect," Cagalli explained, smiling at his enthusiasm. "From what I know, she hasn't said yes but Dad is optimistic. And if everything goes according to plan, she's going to be your other girl."

"At least that is a point I will seriously consider," he said, grinning widely. Of course his twin knew about this. She had been keeping it as a trump card all the way.

But Cagalli shook her head and there was a glint in her eyes that set the alarm inside his head off. "You haven't heard about the last," she reminded him.

"Another girl of mine?"

"Close," his sister winked, "but not quite. It's the other main character, your best-friend-slash-rival-slash-secret-love-interest."

Kira just had to laugh at this. "Seems like every girl in the series falls in love with me. Am I making a harem or what?"

"You have a point there," she nodded solemnly, "but I said not quite. Why? Because it's a guy."

A guy? That sobered him up very quickly and Kira gave her a puzzled look. "Didn't you say secret love interest?"

To increase his alarm, Cagalli suddenly giggled. Kira eyed her uncertainly, because he knew for sure that his sister did not giggle and most certainly was not capable in producing anything girly except on stage or in front of camera. "Read the script when you get it and you'll see what I mean," she said with a smirk, ignoring the strange look on his face. "Well, I agree with you that Dad is having fun in this."

Kira made a face at her but refrained from throwing another comment about their father. He asked instead, "Who's going to play him?"

Cagalli didn't answer and only stared at him long and hard, her golden eyes gleaming with suppressed excitement. Kira waited, knowing that she loved to keep him in suspense, but seeing her complacent expression, he suddenly had a very good idea who. Only one person in the world could put that look on her face.

His eyes widened and his throat suddenly felt dry. "No."

"Yes," she countered calmly.

"No, that's impossible, Cagalli," he muttered, his voice sounding weak. "That's just impossible. I mean, he can't possibly–"

The rest of his words died at the edge of his tongue and Cagalli's smirk widened. "I'll give you one clue, Kira," she said, obviously enjoying the whole situation very much. "You beat him for the Best Actor last night."

It felt like his heart had suddenly stopped beating. Kira felt dizzy, and afraid – afraid that his sister was only playing a trick on him. She knew how much he wanted to meet this person, to really meet, not just shake his hand formally like it had been last night. Was today the first of April? Because it was plain impossible. There was no way he could get that lucky.

"Zala?" he whispered when he finally found his voice again – and the courage to ask.

Cagalli grinned at him. "The one and only," she answered, her voice still dipped in amusement but so very honest that it left no room for doubt. Kira found himself once more unable to produce a coherent sound, his mind too crowded with the fact that he would be playing with the guy who had filled his dreams for two years.

With Athrun Zala.

"Now," Cagalli said again, a complacent look on her face, "are you going to accept, dear Brother?"

End Chapter One

Anyone interested to see what will happen next? Then leave a review! D