Oh, right, he couldn't hold onto Maria forever and technically she already had a generously patient mother to put up with a stranger cradling her baby for so long. Tony was dangerously close to complaining, though, hugging Maria and looking back at James like he might pick him up, too, and make Pepper chose which one she could save from Tony's clutches. They were sleeping, though; beautiful and perfect, but sleeping and Pepper was right, this wasn't where Tony was supposed to be.
With the peacefully dozing baby back in her bed with a last kiss and a gentle touch to James' hair, Tony reached out for Pepper to indulge him one last time and help him out of that room with his hand in hers as he looked back wistfully. He wanted to know everything about them, what they were good at and what they really loved and if they were patient or charming or sweet and shy. And he wanted to know what the hell compelled their dad to be more than twenty feet from them, never mind a whole dimensional plane.