Can a blue tongue be stressed without huffing hissing

[incandence]

So I might just be a paranoid lizard mum
but I needed to ask this question.
So I take my lizard out quite a bit and he SEEMS to enjoy it
He huffs a little at first but then let's me pet him and falls asleep next to me.
But he will sometimes squirm when I pick him up but calms a lot
But I'm still worried I might be stressing him out because when I put him back in he goes into his hide and sleeps for a couple hours and comes out in a day or two.
I NEVER pick him up when he's in his hide or disturb him.
Right now the lil dude is asleep next to me. (I've heard when they are stressed they close their eyes?)
Idk maybe I'm just being paranoid haha.
Also he isn't eating a lot and is on the skinny side and also he licks me a lot?? Like always licks me and idk why and it's really ticklish ahh
I haven't had him for long only around two weeks sorry
Here's a few pictures of him hiding in my hair haha and one chillin In my arms

[incandence]

His own sneeze woke him up he is looking at me like why happen???? Just a funny thing that happened a few seconds ago.

[Scincoides]

Hi. A skink can absolutely be stressed without huffing or hissing. A very common mistake with newer owners is overhandling. Its often best to give them a 10-15 day settle in period when they first arrive, before beginning daily handling. It just helps the animal get used to his surroundings and destress a bit. A change in environment, like being sold, then set up in an unfamiliar enclosure can often cause issues on its own. Please keep an eye on the temps in the enclosure. Its common for blueys to go off feed for a bit after being sold and potentially shipped, but double check temperatures just to be sure that its warm enough. Otherwise, beautiful skink! Congrats

[NickBrahz]

If you are unsure if it is stressed or not and it isn't making any obvious noises, i look at the neck just behind the ear you can see how fast they are breathing, if its every few seconds or so that's normal but if its a few times a second then its getting stressed out.

[Susann]

Like has already been said, it is quite possible for skinks (and any reptile) to be stressed without showing many outward signs; you are good to be mindful of this.
Before you get to know your skink, it's behaviors, and it's body-language, it can be hard to tell, so it may be a good thing to err on the side of caution; once you guys get used to each other, you'll recognize if he's stressed just by looking at him and the way he feels in your hands. Until then you may want to keep handling sessions a bit shorter, just to make sure.
They MAY close their eyes if they are stressed, but in my experience, in those instances it is more common for them to only close one eye... If both eyes are closed and stay closed for a while, I'd say that it's more likely your skink is comfortably relaxing --or even asleep.

Congrats on your new little buddy, and feel free to keep us updated on how things are going for the two of you.