Can snakes sense emotions

[Stewart_Reptiles]

but I'd like to think maybe my little guy was feeling empathy for me

That's called anthropomorphism BP don't feel empathy, just like they don't love you or hate you and could not care less if you are there or gone and never came back. They have simple/primitive brain

However they can sense fear just like they can sense confidence and based on those they will act very differently when handled.