Summary: The Red Thread of Osamu Dazai and Chuuya Nakahara. Red thread of fate AU, Platonic!Soukoku, Oneshot.

There were many red threads of fate, they kept people together. Not necessarily in a romantic way, the owners just as often had a rivalry, close friendship, or mentor-student relationships. The thread meant people would run into each other again, that they would be involved in each other's lives.

Some red strings would always link people. But that was not common these days, a thread naturally breaking or loosening meant the end of many relationships. To cut it was a high insult and was done when someone was disowned or divorced.

The night that Dazai left the Port Mafia led to several curious events. Ones that had never happened before.

The thread that tied Osamu Dazai and Chuuya Nakahara together unraveled on one side. One might expect that Dazai, the one who's walking away, was the one who forcibly held onto the bright red string. After all, he's the coldhearted mastermind demon prodigy. It might be like him to hold onto it in order to keep a valuble tool.

But no, Dazai's end stayed wrapped around his throat. It was Chuuya's white knuckled gloved hand that held on and kept their thread from slipping. He almost held tight enough to cause Dazai to stumble as he walked out of Port Mafia territory.

Akutagawa's line to Dazai had been cut that night by his departing superior. He watched his thread drop to the ground and disappear. The boy latched onto Chuuya's and Dazai's thread with desperation. He wasn't able to pull it or affect it, but successfully wrapped his hand around the red string and struggled to keep it on.

Four years later, Atsushi came along. He timidly held onto Dazai's thread-the only one he could see that his mentor possessed- between his index and thumb.

Dazai watched the taut string and the three people on it with a blank expression. Not that of a blank emptiness, but the blankness of utter confusion.

His gaze turned away from them often, quickly disinterested by their actions. People were stupid after all. This seemed to prove it all the more.

The red thread between Dazai and Chuuya became slack as Dazai's knot loosened. He frowned as the red thread slipped off his neck. Dazai caught hold of it and quickly tied it around his wrist.

Chuuya loosened his grasp in surprise as the other side, Dazai's side, stopped pulling away. He grinned and looped the red thread around his knuckles.