Summary: For the LJ Icon Challenge.

Warnings: Rated PG-13. m/m.

Notes: This is from a challenge that was floating around LJ. People picked one of my icons, and I wrote a short little story about it.

"It drives up the price if you take something off."

Clark could only stare at the girl.

"Oh, come on, Kent! You knew what you were getting in to. I know you're not so naïve not to realize that whoever buys you is going to want to see what they're getting."

"But-- it's for charity!"

Becky, the co-chair of Met U.'s annual Bachelor Auction, gave him a hard look. "That's right. It is. Now go out there and strip and raise some money for little kids and defenseless animals!"

Clark sighed in defeat and trudged back to join the rest of the guys who'd been duped in to participating in this humiliation-fest.

The opening dance number didn't go too badly, in the sense that Clark didn't actually fall down. Of course, he didn't take off his shirt or anything else, not in front of all those gawking girls, not even if Becky yelled at him about it later. When it came time for him to go on the auction block, though, and the auditorium was painfully, echoingly bid-free, he began to think maybe he should have showed at least a little skin.

The girl playing auctioneer kept saying, "Come on, ladies! We've got a fine specimen of Met U. manhood here. Who's going to give me an opening bid?"

Clark had long since turned red, and now he was starting to sweat.

Finally, a smooth male voice said, "Ten thousand dollars."

The audience gasped. Clark shielded his eyes trying to see past the bright stage lights, although there was only one person it could be.

The auctioneer beamed. "Sold!"

Clark let out a sigh of relief and hurried off stage, eager to be out of the spotlight.

Backstage, everyone congratulated him, even Becky. "Not bad, Kent." This was high praise coming from her.

Lex came to find him. "Ready for our date?"

Clark grinned. "Sure." He was lucky to have a friend who would get him out of messes like this.

In the car, it took Clark a few minutes to realize they weren't headed toward his apartment or Lex's. "Where are we going?"

"The River Bar and Grill. It has nice ambiance, perfect for our date."

Clark stared at him. "You're serious about this?"

"I did buy you." Lex smiled like a shark. "And when have you ever known me not to get my money's worth?" His hand settled on Clark's thigh, moving up and down, and Clark was suddenly sweating more than he had under the hot stage lights.

"You mean, you want to--"

"I do get you for the entire evening." His hand drifted over to Clark's crotch and lightly stroked his cock. "That's not a problem is it?"

Clark was so hard he could barely breathe. "No problem," he managed to say.

Apparently, the mini lecture Becky had given him on the benefits of participating in the auction had been perfectly true. Making sacrifices for charity did bring unexpected personal rewards.